


Anomaly

by MariaMagica



Series: Red Stars [2]
Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Aliens, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fluff, Future Vision Dreams, Gender Neutral MC - Freeform, Hurt/Comfort, Loss of Identity, M/M, Mind Control, Other, POV Yoosung Kim, Rollercoaster of Emotions, Saeran gets broken, Science Fiction, Some tags are spoilers, Supernatural Elements, Superpowers, Telepathy, There's too much going on in this fic, This is Yooran-centric, Thriller, Will add them per chapter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-16
Updated: 2017-03-11
Packaged: 2018-09-24 22:44:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 22,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9790400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MariaMagica/pseuds/MariaMagica
Summary: Yoosung had to be going mad. It was the only explanation as to why he heard and saw things that weren't there. Too bad it didn't explain when bizarre things started happening to the others in the RFA as well.Part 2 of Red Stars but can be read on its own.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My very first serious YooRan story! :O I'm not used to writing either Yoosung and Saeran (especially a Saeran in reverse), so please let me know if I can improve on how they behave/talk. I've pre-written nothing this time so updates will sadly be slow.
> 
> Also I've done my best to write this story so you can follow it without having to read Transference. That said, reading Transference does make some things more clear earlier on (but not all!).
> 
> Once again, this is a roller-coaster because I'm a horrible writer that likes to make the RFA suffer. I hope you enjoy!

_*trrrrrrr*_

_*click*_

“Hey Rika!”

“Hello Yoosung.”

“V? Why are you using Rika’s phone?”

“Ah, I just happened to be near it.”

“I see. Can I speak to Rika?”

“I’m afraid she’s busy right now, want me to pass on a message?”

“Erm, no. I want to see how she’s doing.”

“Ah. I’ll ask her to call you back, alright?”

“…Sure.”

“Thanks Yoosung.”

_*beep beep beep*_

“…”

***

> 707: Hey Zen, had any strange dreams lately? ;3
> 
> ZEN: Seriously, do you have to ask me every day?
> 
> 707: I can’t help it~!  
>  707: Your dream of someone hacking into the RFA came true!
> 
> ZEN: That’s because YOU hacked them in, you jerk!  
>  ZEN: And you probably took that idea from me!
> 
> Jumin Han: Hey, that’s my title.
> 
> ZEN: Don’t worry, you’re still the prime jerk
> 
> 707: well now ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
> 
> Jaehee Kang: =.=;;
> 
> ZEN: Oh for the LOVE OF I did NOT mean it THAT way!!
> 
> Jumin Han: No comment. :3
> 
> ZEN: Damnit Jumin!
> 
> 707: Hue hue hue hue 
> 
> Jaehee: Ah, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
> 
> Ha-neul: I am still sorry for that day
> 
> ZEN: You have nothing to be sorry about  
>  ZEN: Your boyfriend however…
> 
> 707: Oh come on it was funnyyyyy~~~
> 
> Jaehee Kang: I’m glad you joined us Ha-neul.  
>  Jaehee Kang: One day you should tell us how you two met.
> 
> ZEN: I still can’t believe someone like Seven is in a relationship
> 
> Ha-neul: I am happy I can be of assistance  
>  Ha-neul: Ah… One day.
> 
> 707: It was very romantic!  
>  707: Unlike two classy guys who made out at a party and decided to hook up ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) so ordinary
> 
> ZEN: YOU PROMISED NOT TO BRING UP THE PARTY ANYMORE
> 
> Jumin Han: Seven, I warned you.  
>  Jumin Han: No more pictures of Elizabeth the 3rd for your personal tripter bot.
> 
> 707: NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
> 
> \- Yoosung★ has logged in -
> 
> 707: help me Y00sung, they’re being bullies!!
> 
> Yoosung★: Hey guys  
>  Yoosung★: Lol Seven, he *did* warn you
> 
> 707: x___________x
> 
> Yoosung★: btw, don’t you guys think V’s been acting really weird lately?
> 
> Jumin Han: Aside from his announced absence, I haven’t noticed anything.
> 
> ZEN: He and Rika were figuring things out, remember?
> 
> Jaehee Kang: Just give them some time.
> 
> 707: You’ve been bringing Rika up as often as I’ve asked Zen about his dreams
> 
> ZEN: Not as often but yeah, kinda
> 
> Yoosung★: I guess I’m being too paranoid
> 
> 707: Can we get back to the original subject of poor suffering me?!?  
>  707: Ellyyyyyyy
> 
> Jumin Han: If only there was a way to block Seven from seeing Elizabeth while letting the rest of the world enjoy her beauty.
> 
> ZEN: -.-;;;;
> 
> Ha-neul: Jaehee, can I ask a question about the guest list?
> 
> Jaehee Kang: Of course.

Yoosung, worrying his lip and fiddling with his hairclips, stared at the app as the topic moved away from Jumin’s cat to the upcoming party. It’s been several weeks since V told them all that Rika needed a break from RFA duties and he had yet to hear so much as a peep from his cousin. If she had depression like Seven suspected, had she gotten help by now? Was she doing alright in general? It frustrated him that he was left in the dark about this. It frustrated him even more that no one else was as worried as he was.

“Yoosung, put away your phone quick.” The red-head next to him tapped his arm lightly.

His professor walked into the classroom just when Yoosung put his phone back into his pocket. Good timing, he had already gotten in trouble earlier this week for calling during class hours.

“Thanks Saeran.” He mumbled, slightly embarrassed.

Saeran gave him a small smile before staring at his notebook. Yoosung quickly did the same, while hearing their professor reminding the class once again not to ignore the importance of planning and writing their thesis early.

At least he didn’t have to worry about a thesis subject. Though his chosen topic, Xenobiology; biology of the unknown, was becoming more of a pain than he wanted to admit – there was only so much research he could find about it and too little sources to credit. 

In the past he had used his imagination which worked out well, but now his professors wanted something new. His classmates joked that he should tap into sci-fi stories like America’s Area 51 but they had no idea how close he was to doing that.

The blond sighed and turned his attention to the whiteboard, hoping a solution would present itself soon.

“Can anyone tell me why viral infections are harder to treat than bacterial infections?” The professor scanned the room. Some students looked away, trying their best to seem disinterested even though they obviously didn’t know the answer. To his surprise, Saeran raised his hand faster than he did.

“Viruses are intracellular parasites. Because of this, antiviral drugs are too specific and have limited effectiveness.”

“Very good Saeran. As we all know, viruses…”

While the professor went on with his subject, Yoosung looked towards Saeran who tried to avert other student’s gazes, still painfully shy after all this time.

“I thought you took this class purely for extra credit.”

He whispered.

Saeran nodded. “I happen to know a lot about diseases. I was often sick when I was young. When I still lived with my birth mother, I would dive into every medical book I could find so I could treat myself. Luckily that didn’t seem necessary when… when I left her.” After he said that, he blushed and nervously returned to his notebook. Yoosung didn’t press on.

After their initial meeting when the redhead arrived at his university, they barely interacted due to the fact they only had two classes in the week together. Saeran had lead such a fascinating and complicated life by the sound of it. Left Korea when he was just a teenager to live with a foster family in Hong Kong. Came back to study at Sky University… and to find his brother.

Every time they spoke, he wanted to learn more; yet Saeran had trouble talking with anyone for longer than ten minutes.

There had to be something he could do to make Saeran feel more at ease.

***

\- Message from ZEN -  
 _I dreamt that I saw Jumin’s cat drown in front of me. I don’t even like cats that much and it shook me_

\- Message from Yoosung★ -  
_Oh wow, no wonder you don’t want Jumin and Seven to know_

\- Message from ZEN -  
_Yeah, last thing I need is them freaking out over a dumb dream. It got worse though, right after I was standing in a burning room and we were all trapped. I genuinely worry about my imagination when I wake up bathing in sweat like that_

\- Message from Yoosung★ -  
_I guess that’s the burden of an actor? At least it was just a nightmare_

\- Message from ZEN -  
_True. Thanks by the way, I just had to tell someone and Jaehee has enough on her plate without worrying about me_

\- Message from Yoosung★ -  
_No problem! ^_^ Maybe you can help me? There’s someone in my school who is pretty new and they always seem so nervous. I want to help, but I don’t know how_

\- Message from ZEN -  
_Hmm. Whenever I’m in a new city, my fellow stage actors would take me to a place they know I like, like a bar, so I can feel comfortable. Maybe do something like that for them?_

\- Message from Yoosung★ -  
_Couldn’t hurt to try!_

***

The weather seemed to favor them as the both of them strolled along the busy streets in the city center, carefully dodging fervent shoppers.

“Are you sure you want me to join?”

“Yeah! No one I know offline are into games and I think you’ll like it.” Yoosung hoped so, at least.

He was surprised Saeran agreed to join him but also glad. Seeing how much Saeran loved computers by visiting IT Lab whenever he got the chance, Yoosung figured they could pass by the city’s arcade. Every time he visited it, he had enjoyed it thoroughly. And maybe after, he could introduce him to LOLOL! It would be fun to have someone he knew in real life to play with, plus Saeran wouldn’t have to ask why he was always so sleepy in morning classes.

Their conversation fell away once again, with the both of them unsure what to talk about, and they walked on in awkward silence. Occasionally Yoosung would glance at the redhead, who was wearing his telltale crème-colored sweater, and taking in all the sights and sounds of the city. It was crazy how much he looked like Seven, only missing those silly glasses.

His thoughts drifted to Seven. Lately the hacker was as happy as a sunbeam, saying he had finally dealt with a problem that had been bothering him for a while. He didn’t share anymore details than that, though Ha-neul told him that they were both considering starting a business; maybe Seven quit his job. Whatever that had been. He didn’t even know Seven hated his job.

“Thanks, by the way.” Saeran’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

“What for?”

“I know I’m a bit of an outsider here and I don’t make friends easy. I always thought you talked to me in class because we happened to sit next to each other. So this is nice. I am really happy you asked me.”

His smile was genuine, reaching all the way to his eyes and Yoosung felt his cheeks warm up from the compliment. He pretended to be very interested in the candy store on his right, hoping Saeran didn’t notice how flustered he was.

“W-well, it would be a shame to give you bad memories of your birth country now that you’ve moved back here.” This was good, already he was opening up a little more than in school. Who knows, he could invite him to the upcoming RFA party pretty soon and he and Seven could finally see each other.

Was he right in assuming Saeran was Seven’s brother? All signs pointed to yes, but even if he was wrong, there could be no harm in the two of them meeting. Worst case, Seven would be ecstatic and spread the rumor that he had a clone.

When they turned the corner to the next street, they stopped in their tracks.

The area was full of people but they were all standing still, facing away from them. No one was talking; were they not visibly breathing, shopping bags dangling from their arms, he would have thought they were all extremely lifelike statues.

It was way too quiet, as if someone had switched off the volume for the world. Not even the sound of birds chirping. He couldn’t even spot a single animal in the air, unlike before – as if they had all fled the scene.

The both of them gawked at the sight. For a brief second Yoosung wondered if this was some kind of art happening or an elaborate stunt to trick them. But… why?

Suddenly someone moved. One man clad in a suit slowly turned on the pavement and walked towards them in a hurry. Yoosung could only stare at his face as he came closer.

“Are his eyes… glowing?”

Saeran looked at him confused. “Glowing? No, they seem fine to me. What the hell is going on here though…”

Was he imagining it? Those irises were clearly glowing an odd teal, almost bordering on green. He could barely make out his pupils, the glow shooting off sparks like lightning, leaving a trail behind with every step the man took. His eyes looked hollow, empty and it felt like he was gazing directly at his soul. Cold shivers ran down Yoosung’s spine.

“Excuse me, do you know-“ Saeran tried to stop the businessman, who stared into the distance like his life depended on it.

“I have to leave, I have to.” The man was nearly unintelligible as he rushed past them, harshly pushing Saeran out of the way and making him bump into Yoosung’s side painfully. 

While Saeran cursed at the man behind him, Yoosung’s attention got directed to the middle of the car road. Someone else moved. A slender woman with long flowing blonde hair. She was accompanied by two men, one tall, with short, brown hair and the other with hair so blue he almost blended with the sky. It was hard to see their faces from this distance.

Could it be?

“Hello?” Yoosung called out and they turned to face him.

His vision _pulsed_. Something sharp seemed to cut into his scalp, making Yoosung grab the sides of his head. The pain became more intense as it felt like knives trying to claw into his scalp, splitting it apart, and he yelled out in agony.

His legs collapsed underneath him and his knees hit the asphalt below him, not registering the blow with all other violent signals coursing through his brain. He couldn’t even see anymore, all shapes and colors blurring in front of him as tears poured down his face, his hands clenching even tighter in the hopes the pain would stop.

_Run! You have to run!_

In between the searing hot flashes, a voice echoed in his head. Was someone talking to him? Yoosung couldn’t think, could barely breathe, his throat sore from all his screaming.

A blurry pair of boots next to him moved away, walking forward, fading out of his vision. He couldn’t look up to follow them, body close to blacking out.

_Get up! Go!_

With what little strength he had left, he pushed himself up and turned around, nearly falling with every step he took. He couldn’t see where he was going. At some point he felt his shoulder make contact with a wall and used one of his hands to lean on it as he trudged on, his head now pounding and burning like something was trying to break free.

The pain stopped as sudden as it had arrived.

Disorientated, Yoosung took in a deep breath. 

His body kept trembling as he tried to calm himself down, his back leaning against what he assumed was a store wall. When his vision returned fully, he noticed he had backtracked almost two streets. People around him didn’t spare him a glance, too busy with their own thing. He looked at the sun but couldn’t tell what time it was exactly.

It took him a few more moments to remember why he was here.

Saeran wasn’t with him.

Adrenaline rushed through him as he shot up, dizzy from the sudden action, his heart racing once again. Those black boots – they were Saeran’s! He had left him behind!

Defying every instinct he had, he ran back to where he came from, not caring for the angry comments of tourists when he brushed past them. When he reached that same corner, he pushed himself against the building and carefully peaked beyond, expecting the worst.

It was bustling as it normally was, shoppers strolling past casually and shopkeepers happily chatting with their customers. Like they hadn’t been frozen in time before. Yoosung gaped open-mouthed for a good minute before pinching himself. 

Ouch. No, he wasn’t dreaming. Most definitely awake.

Where was Saeran?

He walked around the streets for an hour, trying to locate the redhead but seeing no glimpse of him. Not a single person he asked confirmed that something strange had happened earlier today, nor that they had seen Saeran. At one point he found a young long-haired blonde woman, but when he approached her, she wasn’t Rika – and no, she hadn’t seen a man with blue hair near her.

Only when he reached his university, planning to rush to administration to get Saeran’s number in order to call him, did he finally spot the person he had painstakingly searched for. Saeran stood just outside, next to the stairs. Staring at his phone and thankfully, completely intact.

He ran towards him and nearly skipped from joy when he arrived. “Saeran! I’m so glad I found you!”

His grin dropped off his face instantly when he saw Saeran turn his head up. Why did he look so angry?

“Really Yoosung? You decide to ‘find me’ again after you ditch me like that? I wandered around the city for an hour! I had to ask an officer how to find my way back here!”

What??

“But I didn’t ditch- I mean, I didn’t intend to! I had to leave!“

“You _had_ to leave? Why?”

“Because of the weird thing happening in the street, just now- You remember right? It gave me some kind of a massive headache, I don’t know if it’s a migraine or what, and someone was telling me to run, s-so I did-” He started to stutter as Saeran stared at him. 

The more he said, the more he didn’t believe his own story himself. Everything he recalled happening now felt like an odd daydream. He was just about to apologize when Saeran’s eyes suddenly started glowing.

“No, I don’t remember that. Nothing like that happened at all. If it did, we were imagining it.” 

Yoosung could only stare at him frozen while he spoke. There was that glow again. Exactly the same as before. Complete with his bizarre words, it almost felt like he had dipped into one of his science fiction games. But this was real.

Was it? 

The glow disappeared and only then did he realize the long uncomfortable silence lingering between them. Saeran’s frown deepened. “If you feel some kind of stupid obligation to hang out with me, then don’t. I’d rather you avoid me instead of wasting my time like this.”

Sadness laced his voice as he pocketed his phone and marched off, shaking Yoosung out of his stupor and his shock turned into panic.

“Wait!” Saeran ignored him completely as he called out his name. 

All he could do was stand there, rubbing his arm, feeling endlessly confused. The university plaza was full of students, some of them looking at them and their argument in pity, but no one had reacted to the bizarre sight. There was no way everyone could have missed it.

Maybe… he was imagining it all. Just like Saeran said.

Damn it.

***

When both he and Jaehee sighed deeply at the same time, Yoosung had to stifle a laugh. They were sitting outside, the warm sun making spring feel like a gentle summer, around a cozy little table next to a coffee café. By all accounts, this was supposed to the best way to sort out the RFA’s party plans, yet both of them weren’t enjoying it.

Jaehee was faster with her reaction, neatly placing her pen next to her notepad. “What’s bothering you, Yoosung?”

Yoosung slouched a bit, not really wanting to share his moment of shame but he knew Jaehee would pull it out of him no matter what. Might as well admit it now.

“I messed up. I asked a classmate to join me at the arcade in the hopes we would become friends, but I ended up losing him in the city. He thinks I dumped him.” Oh yeah, and also people were frozen on the street and eyes started glowing – totally normal right?

“But you didn’t mean to lose him, right?” Jaehee asked.

“No, of course not. It’s as if I was caught in some strange fantasy and I just wandered off, leaving him alone. And he was really mad.”

“You do have quite the imagination, with your games and all. Have you been sleeping well?”

Sheepishly, Yoosung scratched the back of his neck. There was no way he could deny, bags under his eyes giving away everything. Worse, he had raided even longer than normal last night, just to forget how anxious he felt. As for former raids, seeing as his thesis deadline was a few months away and he didn’t really know how he was going to write it, he figured he could slack off just a tiny bit. 

Okay, he slacked off a little more than a bit. Okay, a lot.

His mom always warned him he would get ‘computer’ eyes – maybe those strange glowing things is what she meant. Ever the bright assistant, Jaehee gave him that I-knew-it look, reading him like an open book.

“If I were you, I would find him and apologize. I’m sure if you’re sincerely sorry, and I know you are, he will forgive you. It seems like a big misunderstanding, by the sound of it.” 

Her words were comforting and really, when was Jaehee wrong when it came to dealing with arguments? She must have those a dozen a day with clients. 

She was right. As soon as he saw Saeran again, he would apologize. He felt better, now that he had a battle plan.

“Thanks Jaehee. So, what about you?”

Jaehee fiddled with the loose pages on the table, staring at the words but not really reading them. “I guess things at work have been getting to me more than I’d like.”

“Is Jumin giving you too many cat projects again?”

She quickly shook her head. “No, it’s… Lately, I seem to be finishing my work within an hour after I receive it.”

“Oh. That’s good, right?”

“If by good you mean having managers give you the most flabbergasted looks when you hand something in, or having co-workers avoid you because they think you’re trying to make them look bad by working so fast. Nowadays, I browse the internet for hours, handing in a finished project at the expected time so that Mr. Han doesn’t get into trouble.”

That sounded like a dream for Yoosung. To finish his thesis within a day and spend the next months only playing LOLOL with a care? Awesome! But he supposed for someone like Jaehee, who loved to keep herself busy, it was a huge problem. No wonder she was so down.

“Why not share more work stories with Seven’s friend? You guys got along pretty well, right?” The illustrious Mary Vanderwood the 3rd, as Seven called him. They met him back when Seven hosted a party at his bunker. Yoosung remembered Seven complaining to Jaehee on the chat that she was giving Vanderwood ideas on how to make him more productive.

“I haven’t heard from him for a few days now. Which means he’s probably busy, unlike me.” Well, that sucked. Funny how they were both technically having friendship issues.

“Maybe you’ve become too good in your job.” He shrugged.

It made sense, right? Jaehee had been working for C&R for quite some time now. Yoosung was sure all these projects must be as easy as cycling for her.

The scent of coffee distracted them both as one of the café’s employees approached their table, placing their order in front of them, deftly avoiding all the papers. Jaehee’s mood did a complete 180 when she looked at the long-haired woman, a smile now on her face.

“Hello Jaehee! Here is the cappuccino in the way you like it the most and latte for your friend.” In the way she liked it the most? How often did she come here? Yoosung looked at Jaehee suspiciously but she wasn’t looking at him, all eyes on the employee.

“Thank you Mei. Oh, this is Yoosung, he’s helping me out with party planning.” She motioned towards him and Mei shook his hand eagerly. 

“I am sure you guys will make your party amazing!”

Jaehee blushed a little and adjusted her glasses in nervous habit. “It’s not really a big deal. We do this all the time.”

Yoosung’s eyebrows shot up so fast, they almost launched off his head. Normally she’d take any chance to promote the RFA!

“Oh no, I do not believe that. You always work so hard!”

The way the two of them went on, Yoosung started to highly suspect he was currently the third wheel. Their conversation got interrupted when someone from the café called Mei’s name and she scurried off, Jaehee watching her go.

“She sounds like Ha-neul. The way she talks and all.” 

Yoosung had only talked to Ha-neul a few times, whenever Seven played LOLOL with him and their voice was present in the background. He had always thought they spoke a bit strange, perhaps it was because they weren’t native Korean speakers. Also they visited Seven’s bunker a lot, but he supposed that was normal for a relatively new couple. He couldn’t help but feel a little jealous.

“Yes, I noticed that too.”

They both sipped their drinks, Yoosung finding his latte less than spectacular. Maybe he should make a café buddy and have them create drinks the way he likes the most too.

“I have been considering leaving C&R. Trying something new.” Jaehee suddenly said. Even though she was staring at her cup, unsure how he would react, there didn’t seem to be much doubt in her words. Yoosung figured she must have been thinking about this for a long time now.

“Maybe you should. A career change isn’t weird, right? I don’t think anyone would tell you no.” He gave her an encouraging smile and Jaehee looked relieved, taking another glance towards a happy bustling Mei who had re-appeared with more coffee. Something told Yoosung he could guess what career change she was leaning towards.

“Thank you Yoosung. For now, let’s do what we actually came here for.” She joked, organizing the documents for them both. 

Ten minutes later, when Yoosung was struggling to find something that he could still do for the party seeing as Jaehee had sorted out everything, the peaceful atmosphere was shattered by the arrival of a police car. Everyone turned their heads towards the café, where the car stopped and two officers walked out. A balding thin man wearing a fancy name badge, giving Yoosung the impression he is the café owner, waved at them. He pointed towards Mei, who just returned from a table with a full tray of empty drinks.

As Mei lowered the tray on the nearby table, one of the officers grabbed his handcuffs, soliciting several gasps from people around her.

“Miss Mei Chun, we’re placing you under arrest on suspicion of identity theft. My colleague will read you your rights.” 

As the other officer started droning on about her rights, Mei tried to talk to them while her hands were being placed on her back, looking more surprised than terrified.

“I understand what I did was wrong, but please, you have to understand, I did not plan it like this, it was not meant to harm anyone, I-“

“Miss, I would advise you to keep silent until your lawyer is present!” The officer finished handcuffing her and quickly pulled her along to the car. When they were all inside and drove off, the crowd broke out into startled conversation.

With the shocking moment over, Yoosung looked at Jaehee, who had been staring all this time with her mouth in a tense line. Her hands held her coffee cup so tight, he was surprised it hadn’t shattered yet. As the car disappeared into the distance, she blinked a few times before turning back to the center of the table.

“Damn.” Was all he could say. Mei had pretty much confessed right then and there, hadn’t she?

A few minutes passed and all he could hear was everyone gossiping around him – who was she, where could the real Mei be, this used to be such a respectable neighborhood. Some started to veer into cruel assumptions about employees and Yoosung wanted to tell them to stop. The café owner was making the rounds, apologizing profusely and offering everyone a free drink.

Suddenly, Jaehee slammed her cup down, making Yoosung jump.

“Of course it was too good to be true. Someone who adores coffee and tells me she wants nothing more than to be at my side? I knew it sounded too much like a fairytale story. She was probably looking for a sucker to keep her hidden. God, I’m so stupid.” She crossed her arms and legs. He had never seen her look more defensive.

“Jaehee…”

She tried to wave away his concern, staring away from him to hide her face. Yoosung didn’t know what to say that could make her feel better. He picked up a leaflet for the sake of trying to feel productive, but nothing he said related to the party seemed to arrive, Jaehee too deep in angry thoughts. No doubt they were probably going to leave soon.

In a way he was glad this happened before Jaehee left C&R for what might be an imposter. Hopefully she’d get over her quickly.

***

Yoosung nearly didn’t recognize him at first. The leather jacket he wore when they first met gave away that it was still Saeran, but his hair was radically different. It was nearly all white, light pink tips the only hint that his hair was ever red.

The former redhead was typing away fervently, lines of white code upon a black background streaming down the screen so fast Yoosung couldn’t read a single letter. All the computers in the IT Lab around them paled in comparison to his brand new laptop.

When Saeran still didn’t notice him after a few minutes of standing awkwardly beside his chair, Yoosung coughed. His hair made him look a little like a ghost and he felt a little intimidated when Saeran’s golden eyes looked up at him, hands still above the keyboard.

“Oh, hi Yoosung.”

“Hey Saeran. You changed your hair.”

“Huh? Yeah, I guess I did?” He twirled a lock of his hair in his fingers, focusing on it.

Was he trying something new? Yoosung was tempted to talk about when he first bleached his own hair and what an adventure it was, involving burning scalps and hair that felt like straw. But this wasn’t the time for funny anecdotes.

Best to say what he wanted to for days now.

“Um… Look, I’m really sorry for what happened Wednesday. I’m still not sure what happened, but I meant it when I wanted to have a good time with you. I’m… I’m a dumbass. Ask anyone.”

Casually, Saeran let go of his hair and leaned back in his folding chair, folding his hands above his head. Look at his face, Yoosung told himself, and not at his strange new hair color. Why did he have to pick something that was so very distracting? His fists opened and closed inside the pockets of his pants, his body rigid, trying not to let nerves win.

“I’d like to make it up to you. If there’s anything you need, let me know.” He quickly added. 

“Oh? Anything?” Something about the way he said the word gave Yoosung goosebumps. 

He nodded anyway and Saeran gave him a warm smile. Just when Yoosung thought he could relax a bit, that bloody eye glow returned. If he hadn’t thought of Saeran as a ghost before, he certainly did now.

Oh no. Why now, brain? Was it because he was so stressed about making things right with Saeran that this happened?

Ignore it. It’s not real, this is just fatigue playing parts again. The fact that it’s the same exact glow only confirmed it for him. After school, he was going to take longest nap in his life, dangit.

Saeran didn’t seem to notice his mental struggle, taking his time before replying. “Then, help me find my brother. He abandoned me. I need to find him.” He said it so calmly, as if he had asked Yoosung to get him a glass of water.

There wasn’t anything about that sentence that didn’t bother him, but most of all it was learning that his brother had abandoned Saeran. He had no idea! Maybe Seven wasn’t his brother after all? He just couldn’t see the meme-spamming cat lover as someone who would ditch a family member like that.

Nevertheless, he had been planning on introducing him to Seven anyway; their meeting would simply take place sooner than he had planned. That was fine-

_Don’t._

That _**voice**_. Hadn’t he heard it before? It sounded so odd; he couldn’t tell if it belonged to a man, a woman or even a person. Yoosung looked around but the IT lab was void of anyone else except them.

For some reason, he felt compelled to listen to it. He took his hands out of his pockets, placing one on his arm and the other fiddled with his hairclips. “I-I don’t really know who your brother is.” Technically not a lie, and yet… 

Saeran raised a single eyebrow. His smile didn’t falter, though all the warmth was now gone. God, this was as terrifying as doing an oral exam about a subject he didn’t prepare for. Was this really the same guy he had laughed with a few days ago when he made a joke about their General Sciences professor? It didn’t help that his brain continued to conjure up that electric green glow that he was getting sick of real fast.

“Hm. Perhaps… we could go somewhere? I would like to bring you to this amazing place. You will love it, it’s where everyone can finally be… happy.”

Wow. That was a pretty hefty description. It actually didn’t sell this place at all, making him want to avoid instead. But, seeing how he had already sabotaged his first attempt to help Saeran and the arcade trip had been his idea, Yoosung figured he should definitely join him to wherever he wanted to go-

_No!_

“No!” He blurted out, and straight away he slapped a hand over his mouth. What the hell?!

The smile vanished, and the look Saeran gave him was like steel, hard and icy. Yoosung panicked, covering his face with his hands and squeezing his eyes shut. Why had he said that? How could he be thinking one thing and saying the complete opposite? What was going on?!

While his brain scrambled to make sense of things, he felt like his body had just dropped through the floor and was floating in the void. Well, that was it. Over and gone. He had taken any hope he might have had to sustain their friendship and pretty much smashed it into pieces, because he couldn’t get his act together.

“Sorry, what were we talking about just now?” Saeran’s concerned voice interrupted his chaotic inner monologue. His eyes shot open.

Saeran had returned to before, with his hands back on the keyboard and looking up at him, but this time a little embarrassed. The glow was gone, just like that cold glare.

He didn’t know what to say for a moment. Was Saeran messing with him, just to get back at him for flip-flopping with his opinion? “I… I was sorry for ditching you, and-“

“Ah, right. Sorry, I got distracted by the code on my screen. Erm, it’s fine. I was really mad but mostly because I was frustrated about getting lost. I’m sorry for overreacting, haha.”

And suddenly he was back to being shy Saeran, who had trouble looking him in the eye for more than a few seconds, who scratched back of his head in nervous habit. No. No way.

Did everything in the last five minutes not happen??

His distress was so obvious, even Saeran noticed. “Are you upset? If it’s something I said last time, I’m really, really sorry-“

“No no no, it’s not… I’m not upset.” Definitely not a lie – he was centimeters away from freaking the hell out.

“Oh. Okay, cool. Shall we… go to our next class? I missed the morning lesson and I don’t want to fall behind too much. Maybe Mr Rhie will have fixed his strange hair.” He joked, packing up his laptop. Yoosung tried to give him his most genuine hearty laugh while his stomach twisted and turned.

If he wasn’t literally studying medical science, he might have considered that Saeran had dissociative identity disorder – he knew that the way popular movies and series used it was bullcrap. People didn’t have such extreme personalities that they so obviously switched that on the fly.

No, it was more likely that once again, he was the problem. Seeing things that weren’t there. Hearing voices from no one around him. Imagining scenarios that didn’t take place, leaving others confused.

It took him all he had not to fall apart while he walked behind Saeran in the school’s hallway, students, objects and sounds all melting together in a vague mess due to him stressing out.

Oh God. Perhaps… perhaps something genuinely was wrong with him.

***

> ***: v*0a___1b*(ai  
>  *** : sg__h10__h  
>  *** : j!b$___01  
>  *** : 01001010 01100001 01100101 01101000 01100101 01100101  
>  *** : 01110100 01110010 01100001 01110000 01110000 01100101 01100100  
>  ***: _________ 01101110 01101111 01110100 00100000 01110011 01100001 01100110 01100101  
>  ***: _c_#__  
>  ***: #@_as%)$_
> 
> Unknown: Whoops, what’s this?  
>  Unknown: Ha ha, we had no idea she could even do this  
>  Unknown: Let me just delete everything and  
>  Unknown: Oh  
>  Unknown: Leave it? Haha ahaha~  
>  Unknown: Well, aren’t you all blessed?  
>  Unknown: See you soon~


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Art in this chapter was provided by the incredible [mindofjen](http://mindofjen.tumblr.com/)! Please let me know if it's too big, I have a feeling it doesn't resize for smartphones. x.x

_I’m sorry. We never meant for things to happen like this._

 

His alarm on his phone went off for the third time and Yoosung once again tapped the snooze button. It wasn’t that he was sleepy; quite the opposite, he was wide awake staring at his ceiling. He honestly didn’t know what to do.

Last night he had checked the messenger and seen nonsense words and binary code literally flash into the app, his screen that nasty green color. Frustrated, he had logged out before talking with anyone. Obviously whatever he had, it haunted him. Now he was seeing random things everywhere. He just wanted his brain to… stop. Simply stop.

If he told his mother, she would worry and blame herself, which is not what he wanted. Maybe he should go to the doctor, though he was terrified of what that would result in.

He sighed deeply and checked the time. 8:30 AM… Should he skip uni today?

Out of pure habit, he logged into the morning chatroom and was shocked to see everyone online. Usually there was never anyone on a weekday morning.

 

 

> ZEN: This is seriously messed up
> 
> Jumin Han: Where is Seven?
> 
> Jaehee Kang: I’ve called him, he said he would be here in a few seconds.
> 
> \- 707 has logged in -  
>  \- Ha-neul has logged in -
> 
> 707: Hey hey hey, it’s the Defender of Justice, Seven Oh Seven!  
>  707: Who cries out for my help?
> 
> Jumin Han: Stop shitting around and check last night’s chatroom.
> 
> 707: Geeze, cranky
> 
> ZEN: Seven?  
>  ZEN: Why is he taking so long
> 
> 707: OH
> 
> Ha-neul: Oh no
> 
> Jaehee Kang: Seven, what do the earlier messages say?  
>  Jaehee Kang: You know binary, right?
> 
> 707: I do, but I can’t make sense of the words
> 
> Ha-neul: ...Jaehee…?
> 
> Jaehee Kang: Yes?
> 
> Ha-neul: Ah  
>  Ha-neul: I  
>  Ha-neul: Seven, do you think
> 
> 707: NOT HERE
> 
> Jaehee Kang: ???
> 
> Jumin Han: Seven, what’s going on?
> 
> ZEN: I swear Seven, if this is another one of your pranks, I will destroy all your computers  
>  ZEN: This seriously isn’t funny
> 
> 707: I am being 100% serious right now  
>  707: This isn’t me
> 
> Jumin Han: I thought you said this app was secure.
> 
> 707: They’ve somehow managed to break through all my fail-safes  
>  707: God, I need to quickly reprogram the security
> 
> \- Yoosung★ has logged in -
> 
> Yoosung★: What’s going on?
> 
> Jaehee Kang: Someone managed to hack into the app last night.
> 
> Ha-neul: Seven is currently busy fixing it  
>  Ha-neul: I’m so sorry everyone
> 
> Jaehee Kang: Why? It’s not like you had anything to do with this.
> 
> Jumin Han: I don’t know who Unknown is or what they want but I’m not taking any chances.  
>  Jumin Han: I will send out bodyguards to everyone until this is resolved.
> 
> ZEN: Wait, what?  
>  ZEN: Don’t you think you’re overreacting??
> 
> Jumin Han: That last message worries me too much.  
>  Jumin Han: What if this Unknown is trying to sabotage the RFA?
> 
> ZEN: Maybe, but so far they’ve only typed creepy things in this app  
>  ZEN: Stop jumping to conclusions
> 
> Jumin Han: I think you should worry more.  
>  Jumin Han: If I were trying to hurt the RFA, I would definitely kidnap you.
> 
> ZEN: (o /// o ) ;;; OMG dude
> 
> Jaehee Kang: Mr. Han, I thought you were being serious.
> 
> Jumin Han: I am serious.  
>  Jumin Han: Zen is a public figure compared to us all.
> 
> ZEN: Thanks but I seriously don’t want bodyguards
> 
> Yoosung★: This may sound really weird, but I’m actually relieved
> 
> Jaehee Kang: ????? Why?
> 
> Yoosung★: I thought I was imagining it when I first saw it  
>  Yoosung★: To see you guys talk about it gives me relief to know I wasn’t, at least not last night
> 
> Jaehee Kang: Are you still having issues with your daydreams?
> 
> ZEN: Daydreams?
> 
> 707: Okay  
>  707: I’ve rewritten everything  
>  707: And added at least a dozen firewalls  
>  707: They’d literally have to be me to get through all this  
>  707: I’m going to trace their lines and find out who it is
> 
> Ha-neul: Seven, we should discuss
> 
> 707: Agreed
> 
> \- 707 has logged off -  
>  \- Ha-neul has logged off -
> 
> Jaehee Kang: Why do I get the feeling we’re being left in the dark here?
> 
> ZEN: I honestly didn’t expect anything otherwise from Seven  
>  ZEN: But Seven is working on it  
>  ZEN: And we know we can trust him, right Jumin?
> 
> Jumin Han: Fine.  
>  Jumin Han: But any escalation and I will instantly arrange security for all.
> 
> ZEN: Geeze, fine  
>  ZEN: You’re such a stubborn ass  
>  ZEN: But what’s going on Yoosung, what’s this about imagining things?
> 
> Jaehee Kang: Earlier this week it caused him problems too.
> 
> Yoosung★: Yeah, I don’t know what’s going on  
>  Yoosung★: Am I hallucinating or something else?  
>  Yoosung★: Like I’m partially shifting into a fantasy world
> 
> ZEN: That sounds worrisome
> 
> Jumin Han: Perhaps it’s stress.
> 
> Jaehee Kang: I have seen employees close to a burn out starting to lose focus easily
> 
> ZEN: You have been very worried about Rika and your thesis
> 
> Jaehee Kang: Plus you’re still actively playing LOLOL which I can imagine doesn’t make you relax
> 
> Jumin Han: Are you eating properly?  
>  Jumin Han: Students are known for terrible eating times and habits.
> 
> ZEN: You should exercise more, it helps for good night rest
> 
> Yoosung★: Can… can you all stop acting like my parents ;;;;
> 
> Jumin Han: If it helps, I will see Rika and V Sunday.  
>  Jumin Han: Turns out Police Chief Park wishes to attend next week's RFA party and requested to meet with its leaders.  
>  Jumin Han: So they made an exception in their break and asked me to attend a business lunch.
> 
> ZEN: Wow, the chief of police!  
>  ZEN: Didn’t he used to run in the presidential election?
> 
> Jaehee Kang: Yes, and even though he lost, he still stayed politically active, giving back to the community.  
>  Jaehee Kang: Usually he’s busy, I was surprised he accepted this party’s invitation.  
>  Jaehee Kang: This is excellent publicity for the RFA.
> 
> ZEN: Nice!
> 
> Yoosung★: Seriously, Rika asked you to join for lunch but doesn’t call me back?  
>  Yoosung★: That just stresses me out even more…
> 
> Jumin Han: I will ask her to contact you when I’m there.
> 
> ZEN: I don’t have anything on Sunday so  
>  ZEN: Yoosung, let’s take the opportunity to get you moving!  
>  ZEN: I promise, a good run does wonders for the body  
>  ZEN: I know it does for me *:･ﾟ✧
> 
> Yoosung★: Ehmmmm
> 
> Jaehee Kang: There is no denying that.
> 
> Jumin Han: Maybe he prefers a personal trainer.
> 
> Yoosung★: Argh  
>  Yoosung★: Okay okay fine Zen  
>  Yoosung★: Right now I’m willing to try anything
> 
> ZEN: Great! Meet you Sunday around 6 PM near the river, central bridge  
>  ZEN: Wear running clothes
> 
> Yoosung★: Oh god T.T
> 
> Jumin Han: I can also arrange a nutritionist.
> 
> Yoosung★: STOP

***

Only by promising that he’d go to uni today was Yoosung able to stop the others from babying him even further. It was a blessing in disguise that Seven wasn’t there as well, who would no doubt join in just to embarrass him.

He forced himself from one lesson to the next, trying to stay hyper-focused on reality, not wanting to drop his guard. He considered avoiding Saeran, seeing as his stress levels seemed to be higher around him. It really bothered him that he felt this way around someone he had been so comfortable with before.

But Saeran wasn’t in any of the lessons that he was supposed to attend. The professors kept noting him absent, meaning he hadn’t called in sick. He wasn’t in IT Lab around lunchtime, which worried him a bit.

Perhaps something had come up at home? Next Wednesday, he’d ask for his phone number so they could message each other.

The end of the day arrived quickly, and he sat down for the last lecture of the day thankful that nothing weird had occurred. Just one more hour and he could go home for the weekend.

A flash of green lightning in the corner of his eyes made him feel sick, karma instantly punishing him for having that thought. Whatever he had done in his past life, he would like to know so he could repent as soon as possible.

Nothing could have prepared him when he turned to look at the source of his grief.

If anyone told him this wasn’t Saeran, he would have believed them. Aside from his ghostly hair and that obnoxious glow hiding his eye color, he sported a red top with black string laced around the collar underneath his black leather jacket. Around his neck he had a black choker, which looked uncomfortably tight, and there were spiked bracelets around his wrists. His backpack was missing.

Combined with his black leather pants, he was already extremely intimidating; but what made it worse was the glaring huge tattoo on his arm. The black outlines of what looked like an eye were enhanced by the swollen red skin around it. It gave Yoosung an inkling of where Saeran was today. He wanted to ask why the fresh tattoo wasn’t covered with bandages, wanted to ask why in the world he chose the drawing he did, why for heaven’s sake a tattoo _this large_ , but held his tongue, scared of negative reactions.

There was no way he could stop staring at the tattoo, not when Saeran wore his jacket so that his eyes were pulled towards it, impossible to ignore. When the young man took a seat right next to him, Yoosung forced his eyes away.

As he scanned the room, he saw he wasn’t the only one uncomfortable with Saeran’s presence. Some students stared at the two of them in shock, only to look away in panic when Saeran glared at them. The professor gave them a wary look but continued her lesson.

“S-Saeran? I thought you didn’t follow this class?” He whispered. There wasn’t anything on Saeran that he felt comfortable with. Not his eyes, not his clothes, not the creepy smirk, not the way he leaned on the chair, body slightly angled towards him. It took all he had to keep his hands on the desk and not pluck at his hairclips.

“I don’t. I wanted to talk to you.” Even his tone was different. Playful, like a cat waiting for the mouse to make a move so it can pounce.

“O-o-okay, what do you want to talk about?”

Saeran was taking his time with responding and Yoosung wished they weren’t in a classroom. It felt like he was trapped.

“Tell me. Are you actually Yoosung?”

The question was so odd, he had to run it through his head again to make sure he had heard him right.

“Eh... Yes? Who else should I be?” Seriously, what? It was so, so hard to keep his facial expressions neutral so that the professor didn’t notice they were chatting. Secretly he wished she did.

His answer didn’t seem to satisfy the young man, whose whispered questions became more demanding. “How good is your memory? Still remember what you did two months ago? How you became part of the RFA?”

Had… Had he told Saeran about the RFA? Last Wednesday he had planned to. Maybe he did and forgot. It wasn’t as if he could trust his memory right now.

“Well, yes… My cousin Rika founded the RFA and I joined through her- Why are you asking me all this?”

Finally he had the nerve to look at Saeran properly again. To his surprise, Saeran didn’t seem angry, or scary; his brows were furrowed as he contemplated something, looking confused. A small spark coming from his eyes reminded Yoosung the bizarre glow was still around; he had actually gotten so used to it that he didn’t notice anymore.

Unexpectedly, Saeran stood up and walked away, prompting the professor to yell at him for disrupting the lecture. Acting upon the bad boy persona he had adopted, he bluntly ignored her as he closed the door. Yoosung just sat there, feeling shell-shocked.

Somehow, in some weird way… He felt like he was responsible for Saeran’s weird behavior.

 

 

***

The sight of the city’s man-made river in the evening relaxed him a bit as he parked his bike next to a tree. He had seen a few people fishing and discussing if they could swim in it in the summer. There was something about flowing water that made him feel a little more at peace.

So far, the weekend had passed by in a blur, spending most of his time lying on his bed staring at the ceiling, anxieties eating him up from the inside. His promise to Zen was the only thing that pushed him out of his apartment.

Zen was already waiting for him near the bridge, wearing branded sports gear which Yoosung assumed he most likely had modelled for. The area was pretty quiet, most people were in their houses eating dinner or shopping a few blocks further. When he approached, the actor was more than happy to explain the grueling activities he had planned for the student.

“We can start with a simple warm-up jog of 20 minutes, then a good sprint where we-“

Yoosung groaned in head, not wanting to hear the rest. At the end of the evening they’d have to sweep him off the ground. Zen either didn’t notice or didn’t care, as he already went into a full on dash, moving ahead quickly in front of him.

Begrudgingly, Yoosung started to follow… and halted when he saw someone familiar on the central bridge.

“Wait, is that Jumin?”

“Yoosung, there’s no point in trying to distract me, I’m still gonna make you run for a full hour.” Zen chastised him, annoyed that he stopped.

The night sky seemed to blur the details, but it was definitely Jumin on the bridge, looking over the river. He seemed to be holding something large and white in one hand, like a box, and behind him there was someone, no, more, he couldn’t tell who they were, their hoodies hiding everything.

Wasn’t Jumin supposed to be at Rika’s dinner though? How could he possibly be here? Yoosung waved at him but Jumin didn’t react in the slightest, even though he was staring right at him. The executive stood unnaturally still, as if time had stopped.

Crap, he was imagining things again. The argument that stress was causing all this seemed more plausible. He had been so upset that Jumin got to see Rika before him, that now he imagined him here, possibly so he could pretend he wasn’t attending that dinner at all.

Wow brain, way to be petty.

Zen kept calling his name, telling him to stop slacking. Yoosung couldn’t obey him, too immersed with his latest daydream.

The hooded figures behind Jumin moved, one motioning to the river. Jumin’s eyes lit up, the bright green lightning quickly dimming to match the poorly lit street lamps. Before Yoosung could question how and why and what, the executive flung the white box away from him, the item spiraling down fast in the sky.

It’s not a box, Yoosung thought absently as light bounced off its metal grid. It’s a cat carrier.

The carrier hit the water, creating a large splash. It bobbed along the stream for a few seconds as water rushed inside. An anguished high-pitched meow came from it before the river claimed the whole thing, the carrier going down under.

Yoosung stared at the river for a good moment, then back at the bridge. Jumin and the others were gone.

Oh thank God, it was over. There was no way this couldn’t have been real – Jumin would never handle a cat like that. Definitely the weirdest thing he had fantasized. He almost laughed.

The sound of running footsteps got ever closer and Yoosung knew he was going to get scolded. “Heh, Zen, you won’t believe the craziest hallucination I had just n-“

Zen raced past him so fast, he almost bowled him over. Yoosung watched as Zen ran along the waterline before jumping in, swimming frantically to where the carrier had sunk, and dove under.

Wait.

This is real?!

His stomach dropped and his legs felt like lead as he rushed towards the asphalt edge where Zen had been. The water’s surface was much too smooth.

“ZEN!” He called out in panic. Crap, should he jump in or should he call the police? Surely someone like Zen wouldn’t just drown like that?! If only there were more people around, people who knew what to do.

A mass amount of air bubbles made the water ripple violently. Zen resurfaced with a loud gasp, holding the carrier up. Oh thank God. Yoosung let out the breath he didn’t know he had been holding.

He grabbed the carrier from Zen the moment he swam close to river’s edge, water gushing out, fearing the worst. Inside there was a white adult cat, pressed into the corner of the carrier, soaked to the bone and shivering, but thankfully still very much alive.

There was no mistaking those panicked blue eyes.

“Holy shit, it’s Elizabeth.” She let out a soft tiny mewl, seemingly confirming what he was saying.

“What?” Zen wore the same shocked expression as him as he hoisted himself out of the river. “No way. You’ve got to be kidding me.” He cast a glance through the bars and his eyes widened, recognizing the same thing.

Yoosung held the carrier close to him, his shirt slowly getting drenched, clinging to it.

_If Zen hadn’t been there, Elizabeth would have drowned. All because I don’t know the difference between reality and fantasy anymore._

“It was just like my dream.” Startled, Yoosung looked at Zen, who was deep in thought. “When I was underwater and about to grab the cage… And seeing it’s Jumin’s furball…” He shook his head. “It’s probably just a crazy coincidence.”

“Yeah.” Just a coincidence.

Zen’s gaze passed over the carrier in Yoosung’s arms as he squeezed water out of his ponytail. “We should bring her back to Jumin quickly. He is going to go ballistic. Who the hell kidnaps a cat to throw them in the river? And how did they get past Jumin’s security?! This doesn’t make any sense! Did you see who it was?”

His mouth went dry. “Not sure who he was, but he looked a little like Jumin.” It _was_ Jumin, his brain screamed, but he told it to shut up. Even he didn’t believe it.

Luckily, Zen’s apartment was close by. When they got there, Elizabeth had dried up a little, meaning her hair and dander would soon be everywhere. Zen rushed inside, already the first symptoms of his allergy flaring up.

It took a hefty ten minutes for Yoosung to dry off Elizabeth with towel Zen gave him, trying to keep her steady with one arm so that she wouldn’t run off into the street. Right after he managed to get her back into the now dry carrier with a different towel to keep her warm, Zen re-appeared from his apartment, dressed in his normal outfit and a white sick mask.

“I took some anti histamine so I should be mostly okay. Sorry to make you do this outside.”

Yoosung shook his head. “I get it. Do you do this every time you visit Jumin?”

“Not really. Most of the time his maids keep everything so clean, it’s scary. She stays in her own suite when I’m there.” Zen rolled his eyes at the ridiculousness of it all. “I’ll bring her to his place, you should go home and change clothes too-“

Both their phones buzzed at the same time and the amount of caps lock and exclamation marks Jumin used gave them a pretty good indication why he messaged them. Zen wasted no further time and hopped into the first taxi he saw. Yoosung entered the chatroom while slowly walking back to the park.

 

> \- Yoosung★ has logged in -  
>  \- Zen has logged in -
> 
> Jumin Han: good that you both are here  
>  Jumin Han: this is an emergency
> 
> 707: THE WORST THING HAS HAPPENED
> 
> ZEN: We know, I have your furball here
> 
> Jumin Han: Elizabeth is missi  
>  Jumin Han: !!!
> 
> 707: HUH  
>  707: WHY do you have Elly??
> 
> Jumin Han: Where are you right now?  
>  Jumin Han: Did you find her wandering the streets?  
>  Jumin Han: I will have the maids fired for letting her escape the penthouse.
> 
> ZEN: Whoa whoa whoa  
>  ZEN: We’re in a taxi, on our way to you  
>  ZEN: Just stay there and  
>  ZEN: Please don’t do fire them when it’s not their fault
> 
> Yoosung★: Zen saved her, Jumin  
>  Yoosung★: Someone threw her into the river
> 
> Jumin Han: WHAT!?!
> 
> 707: O_O
> 
> Jumin Han: Is she alright?! Does she need a doctor??
> 
> ZEN: She’s fine, she’s fine, just a little spooked  
>  ZEN: We think someone must have kidnapped her  
>  ZEN: Though why???
> 
> Jumin Han: You truly are God’s gift.  
>  Jumin Han: I will buy you a theater.
> 
> ZEN: Wow thank you but uhm  
>  ZEN: don’t do that either ;;;
> 
> 707: I’m going through CCTV footage to see who could have done it  
>  707: No one is going to get away with hurting Elly
> 
> Yoosung★: You can actually access Jumin’s penthouse cameras…
> 
> Jumin Han: I suspected he could.  
>  Jumin Han: It’s why they’re only situated in the foyer and entrance.  
>  Jumin Han: The sooner we can punish whoever did this, the better.
> 
> Yoosung★: Maybe you’re right Jumin, about Zen being God’s gift  
>  Yoosung★: Zen said he had a dream about this very moment
> 
> ZEN: I know I am, but this is more a cruel joke than anything  
>  ZEN: BTW, where is Jaehee?
> 
> Jumin Han: I don’t know, I messaged her as well.  
>  Jumin Han: It’s a good thing the dinner got cancelled so that I came home early.
> 
> Yoosung★: Cancelled?  
>  Yoosung★: Are you sure?
> 
> Jumin Han: Yes? Rika and V informed me before I arrived at the restaurant.  
>  Jumin Han: Or I think they called me? My memory is fuzzy.  
>  Jumin Han: Sorry Yoosung, I also forgot to ask her to call you.
> 
> 707: EHM  
>  707: Lord in Heaven  
>  707: Jumin
> 
> Jumin Han: ??
> 
> 707: The one who put Elly in a carrier and brought her outside  
>  707: Jumin, it’s you
> 
> ZEN: WTF  
>  ZEN: bullshit
> 
> Jumin Han: How could I possibly do that?!
> 
> 707: I swear to the Father, Son and Holy Ghost  
>  707: It’s you  
>  707: I’m not lying
> 
> Jumin Han: I don’t understand.

His hands were trembling as he read Seven’s texts. It was Jumin who took Elly outside? So he had seen Jumin on the bridge? Was everything he had seen real?

Were all earlier things real as well?

He looked up, heart beating like mad. He had decided to sit next to his bicycle on the grass, not wanting to cycle and chat at the same time, the warm spring evening drying his shirt. The memory of Elizabeth in the river made cold sweat run over his back. A passing cyclist shot him a worried glance.

Yoosung quickly returned his attention to the chatroom, the conversation going on so fast he didn’t have time to scroll back up.

 

>   
>  707: This is why I ask you about your dreams every day!  
>  707: If we had known, maybe we could have avoided this!
> 
> ZEN: What are you talking about??  
>  ZEN: It’s not like they’re prophetic or anything.
> 
> 707: Yes, yes they are
> 
> ZEN: …  
>  ZEN: EHH??
> 
> 707: Sometimes when you dream, you see the future  
>  707: It’s not a coincidence Zen
> 
> ZEN: Seriously??  
>  ZEN: How? I’ve never had this before  
>  ZEN: Why now?
> 
> 707: God, there’s no easy way to explain this  
>  707: Some of us have strange superpowers because…  
>  707: Aliens gave them to us a month ago
> 
> ZEN: …
> 
> Jumin Han: …
> 
> ZEN: Aliens.  
>  ZEN: JFC I actually believed you for a moment
> 
> 707: I know it sounds completely crazy but it’s true  
>  707: They landed in Korea and I was able to talk to them
> 
> Jumin Han: Aliens  
>  Jumin Han: Gave Zen future dreams  
>  Jumin Han: (¬_¬)
> 
> 707: They didn’t do it intentionally!
> 
> ZEN: Seven, just stop
> 
> 707: Damn it I’m telling the truth!!
> 
> \- Jaehee Kang has logged in -
> 
> Jaehee Kang: Apologies, I saw the text late.  
>  Jaehee Kang: Seven, the lengths you go to just so you can get to Elly…
> 
> 707: I’m not bullshitting!! Not this time at least!
> 
> Jumin Han: Assistant Kang, can you ask security to send me video footage of the penthouse?
> 
> Jaehee Kang: Already done.  
>  Jaehee Kang: And I’ve looked at it.  
>  Jaehee Kang: Sorry Seven, but how did you see Jumin in that dark shape?  
>  Jaehee Kang: Whoever it is, they’re completely unrecognizable.
> 
> 707: WHAT
> 
> ZEN: So someone did break into the penthouse
> 
> 707: NO  
>  707: I SAW JUMIN  
>  707: THIS HAS BEEN TAMPERED WITH
> 
> ZEN: They managed to change it in a span of 5 minutes?
> 
> 707: I KNOW WHAT I SAW

Seven tried to his very best to convince everyone he wasn’t making things up, but with very little success. By the time Yoosung had gone home and logged back in, the chatlog was absolutely filled with his desperate arguments and sad cries that he didn’t have any evidence. The hacker had even ignored the fact that Zen said he successfully dropped off Elizabeth and was staying there for the evening, which normally prompted heavy gushing from him. Jumin asking Jaehee to arrange extra security for Elizabeth didn’t make him change the subject either.

No one noticed Yoosung hadn’t typed a word. The others didn’t believe him, but he was doubting. What Seven said was too silly for words and yet… it clicked? Reading the explanation made him feel happy, like recognizing the right answer in an exam. It was surreal, but so was everything else the past days. Perhaps he was being naïve again, but Seven was way too good at setting up practical jokes. This was too obvious.

If anyone could help him now, it would be Seven, Yoosung thought as he dialed Seven’s number.

“Yoosung? If like the rest you’re going to tell me to stop, don’t bother-“ Seven’s irritated voice rang through his phone’s speaker.

“I’m not. In fact, I… I don’t know if I believe you but so many strange things have been happening lately, and I have this weird feeling you know something we don’t.”

“Strange things? Like what?”

As calmly as he could, Yoosung told Seven everything - the glowing eyes, the voice in his mind, the strange scenes that he couldn’t tell if they were real or not, his classmate’s rapid transformation. Describing the voice as an echo rewarded him with a gasp from Ha-neul in the background. He didn’t know they had been listening as well.

When he dropped the Saeran’s name, Seven choked and coughed violently, causing him to pause. “Did you… Did you say Saeran?”

Yoosung realized he had forgotten something, something important because of all that happened. “Yes… He’s your brother, isn’t he?”

There was a long silence.

“Yes.”

In a way Yoosung had always known, but to hear it confirmed… Why had he not asked Seven earlier?

“Yoosung, I have to find him and talk to him. Especially after all you said.” The desperation in his voice broke his heart.

“I don’t know where Saeran lives, but I know he has lessons tomorrow.” They didn’t have classes together, but he could check Saeran’s roster at administration.

“Then I will meet you at your university first thing tomorrow.”

“Seven, wait! All these weird things… Are they related to these aliens you mentioned as well?”

There was no direct reply, Ha-neul and Seven arguing with each other in the background, the tone in their muffled voices urgent, upset, almost angry. He wished he could hear what they were talking about. Seven returned to speak with him before he hung up.

“I… The truth is, I’m not one hundred percent sure. When we find Saeran, I hope to confirm it. I promise I will tell you all I know soon.”

 

 

***

Seven’s sports car might as well have been a firetruck, with the way it stood out and drew people’s attention. The redhead hopped out of the car, locking it with a remote on his way to Yoosung who had been waiting outside the university’s main entrance for literally 5 seconds.

It had been a long time since he had seen Seven in person; he looked exactly the same as ever. The only difference his normally cheerful expression was replaced with deep concern and the bags under his eyes told Yoosung he barely slept last night.

The two of them hastily walked into the building. “Administration is to the left of here, I need to-“

“SAERAN!” A robust older woman suddenly enveloped Seven in a tight hug, startling the two of them. A man of her age ran towards them and the commotion drew everyone’s attention, making Yoosung feel very uncomfortable.

“Oh thank God you’re safe, I was so worried, I-”

“Please, I’m not…” Seven swallowed, red from embarrassment, looking guilty. “I’m not Saeran.”

She blinked a few times when he said that, carefully letting Seven go and looking at his face. Her eyes widened. “Oh. You’re right. I’m sorry, you look so much like him, I thought...”

She stepped away, looking absolutely devastated. The man with her wrapped his arm around her shoulders, sharing her expression.

“Are you Saeran’s parents?” His foster parents, Yoosung remembered. Even when they were sad, they gave off a comfortable aura, the kind that made him feel like he’d get cookies if he asked and rubs on the head whenever he did a good job.

They nodded. The man was trying his best not to cry. “Please forgive us, for a moment we thought we had found our son again. We haven’t seen him for days now.”

His blood ran cold. “Saeran is missing?”

“It’s my fault, I should have paid more attention to him when we moved here, I thought he would be fine seeing this is his birth country but-“ The man rambled on and his wife did her best to convince him otherwise, but he didn’t take it to heart. Yoosung balled his fists as he held back tears as well.

“Mr. and Mrs. Liang?“ A police officer and the dean of the university approached them and led them away from the two of them.

A few tense seconds passed before Seven turned, his face white as a sheet, and ran straight back outside. “I have to find him!” He yelled in panic, earning angry looks from the students he pushed aside.

“Seven, wait!” Yoosung followed, but stopped short just beyond the main entrance. He didn’t even know what he wanted Seven to do. Seven jumped into his car and raced off, spooking the entire neighborhood with his reckless driving.

Crap.

If only he had mentioned Saeran sooner. Damn it, damn it! 

 

 

***

> ZEN: Jumin, you have got to stop sending me gifts!  
>  ZEN: My fellow actors keep staring at me weirdly every time the mailman comes by!  
>  ZEN: I can only make this many excuses!!
> 
> Jumin Han: The savior of Elizabeth the 3rd cannot go unrewarded.
> 
> Yoosung★: Let’s be honest Zen, you like the attention
> 
> ZEN: ARGH
> 
> Yoosung★: How is Elizabeth?
> 
> Jumin Han: The doctor said she is perfectly healthy and there’s a bodyguard around her 24/7.  
>  Jumin Han: Speaking of which, I have informed the police of this crime.  
>  Jumin Han: A private detective is looking into it.
> 
> Jaehee Kang: I hope Seven isn’t insulted, he was so convinced of what he saw.
> 
> Yoosung★: Seven wasn’t lying though  
>  Yoosung★: I know that for sure
> 
> ZEN: Maybe whoever did it made it look like Jumin at first?  
>  ZEN: I don’t really understand this kind of thing though
> 
> Jaehee Kang: Yes, I too believe Seven was being genuine.
> 
> Jumin Han: My maids told me that she hadn’t seen anyone except me.  
>  Jumin Han: Perhaps someone disguised themselves as me.
> 
> Jaehee Kang: But why all that effort for a cat…?
> 
> ***: asf_gj  
>  ***: *!)s@j_01_!#*  
>  ***: 01001010 01100001 01100101 01101000 01100101 01100101  
>  ***: 01010100 01101000 01100101 01111001 _____ ______ 01110100 01101000 01110010 01101111 01110101 01100111 01101000 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101  
>  ***: 01000100 01101111 01101110 00100111 01110100 ________  
>  ***: av(!_(_*g@00
> 
> Jaehee Kang: !!!!!
> 
> ZEN: It’s happening AGAIN
> 
> Jumin Han: Yoosung, get Seven on quick
> 
> Yoosung★: He’s busy with something very important
> 
> Jumin Han: More important than this?
> 
> ZEN: Everyone out of the app  
>  ZEN: Stop using it until Seven has fixed this
> 
> \- Jaehee Kang has logged out -  
>  \- Jumin Han has logged out -  
>  \- ZEN has logged out -
> 
> Yoosung★: …
> 
> \- Yoosung★ has logged out -

***

This was possibly the worst day of his life. First Saeran missing, then the messenger app hacked into again during lunch period. With nothing to distract him anymore, all he could feel was guilt, fear, despair, anger towards himself… By the time he came home, he was mentally drained, his lunch barely touched and hadn’t paid attention to anything in each class. Why he didn’t decide to skip his lessons, he didn’t know - but he supposed doing nothing at home wasn’t a better alternative.

His backpack felt like a sack of bricks when he dropped it on the living room table, glad to have the weight off him. A gust of wind gently caressed his skin and Yoosung noticed his window was wide open.

Strange, had he opened it this morning?

_BEHIND YOU!_

A pair of hands grabbed him before he could react, wrapping around his mouth to quiet his startled yell. The wind got knocked out of him as he was thrown on the floor, his arm twisting into a painful position as his assailant turned him onto his back.

To his horror, he watched Saeran straddle him, whose eyes were shining with that horrible light-green glow and whose smile was so wicked pure fear coursed through his veins, holding his head down with his hand.

As small knife glinted in the light next to his left eye.

“Let’s test and see if you’re as human as you claim you are.”

What?! Nonononono-

The blade sank into his eye and Yoosung screamed, sound muffled as the hand quickly covered his mouth. Saeran laughed, maniacal and hollow.

Through pure strength of will, he kicked Saeran off of him and scrambled to stand up, only to have his arms grabbed. Yoosung’s severely damaged eye pulsed and burned as blood flowed out of it, passing down his face into his shirt. Through the pain he struggled, fighting off Saeran who tried to force him down on the ground again.

The moment his hand made contact with Saeran’s exposed shoulder, something flashed before his eyes. Several thin and slender translucent green coils were hooked into his head like a claw, holding on to the boy’s head while he moved. They reminded him of a jellyfish’s tentacle, yet looked as rigid as a metal. One long glowing strand was wrapped around his face and collected around his neck, like a collar of twisted barbed wire.

Yoosung grabbed hold of the coils, surprised they felt solid in his palms. Saeran stopped laughing, grabbing his arm but Yoosung refused to let go. He saw the wires dissolve as he pulled at them, his vision starting to spin.

“What are you- Stop!”

In a last ditch effort, he gave them another harsh tug. Saeran gasped and the claw exploded into a large mass of light particles, shifting to form a dense fog around them. They floated in the air for a few seconds before moving towards Yoosung and he could feel his body absorb it all. He started glowing white, saw different colors surge through his arms down to his hands and back, saw the outline of his body shift form.

Soon, the light faded and the room, his body went back to normal. His heart felt warm, beating at a slower pace than he expected.

“I’m… back… I’m…” Saeran was mumbling to himself, feeling his own chest and face, the glow in his eyes completely gone. When he noticed Yoosung staring at him, he rapidly backed up against the wall, completely terrified.

“What have you… What _are_ you?” His voice trembled, so soft Yoosung barely heard him.

_If only I knew._

He found it hard to focus on Saeran. The bloody knife lay on the carpet, fallen out during their fight. His left eye throbbed from the visual cue, blood continuing to flow. Yet he felt little pain. In fact, he felt… energized.

“That light… Are you an angel?”

An angel? No, he wanted to say, wanted to tell him that he didn’t know what was going on, but… Even though he felt good, his knees collapsed, forcing him to kneel on the floor. Saeran’s eyes started to well up, seeing Yoosung struggle to keep himself upright.

“God, what have I done? I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I don’t… I don’t know what I’m doing anymore.”

Through his poor vision he saw tears fall down Saeran’s pale face, watched his hands tremble as the young man slid down to the floor, staring at the floor in horror, unable to stop himself from talking, as if he would never get the chance to do so again.

“It's like I’m… I’m trapped inside my head, and when I wake up from my horrible nightmares, I’m living them.”

His words hurt his heart, hurt him more than any physical pain ever did. He wanted to get up, to go over to him, but he nearly fell every time he tried. Why was his body failing him?

“This is my fault. Mother always used to say I was the devil’s child, that one day he would come for me.”

Saeran laughed, the same mocking laughter as earlier, painful and empty and angry, and kept on laughing, and then broke down into anguished sobs, cradling his head in hands.

“And now he has me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.” He choked out while crying, his body curled up, looking so small and vulnerable. It was the most horrible thing Yoosung had heard in his life.

He forced himself to move forward, crawling over the carpet. After what felt like herculean effort, he reached out to touch his arm. The gentle action startled Saeran, large teary eyes looking back at him. There were tiny specks of green inside those warm golden irises, he noted.

“It’s not your fault.” Yoosung croaked out, not sure why his voice sounded so tired. His shirt felt so sticky, everything smelled and tasted like iron. His breath came out in short bursts but his lungs didn’t demand more air.

“After all I’ve done, why would you… No, of course you would say that… Of course an angel would try to save me.” Saeran shook his head, tears still spilling.

It felt like the right thing to say. It made no sense, he was the one who attacked him, who gravely injured him, but Yoosung knew it was the truth.

I’m not, he thought. I don’t know what I am, but I’m not an angel. I’m not as good and pure as you think I am.

When Saeran moved to get up, Yoosung carefully held his wrist, the spiked bracelets digging into his palm.

“Don’t leave.” His voice broke up with every syllable and he saw his skin was terrifyingly pale.

Saeran’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Why? Why do you want someone like me to be around you?”

“Because you are a good person. I know you are.”

“Will you still say that when I hurt you again? When the devil makes me hurt those you love? Will you be by my side and tell me the same things then?” The pain behind each word overshadowed the anger. Saeran’s hand moved over his, clenching around it, trying to pry him off. The threat felt real enough, and perhaps he was a fool, yet...

“No matter what. I’ll be there for you. I promise.” He could only whisper and he tried so very hard to emphasize each word. His head started to feel heavy and he felt his whole body slowly droop. He refused to let go.

For a moment Saeran gave him a strange look, his hand so warm on his, the tiniest spark of hope visible in his expression. Yoosung could feel that hope, wanted to grasp it and return it to him thousand-fold. Wanted to hug him, hold him and assure him that everything was going to be fine.

But his warm touch left. Saeran clenched his eyes and got up, leaving him on the ground, the carpet scratching his face.

“Give up on me. You cannot save me.”

Yoosung couldn’t stop him, couldn’t stop him from walking away, too far for him to reach. He commanded his body to follow him but his body didn’t obey, lying still. He wanted to scream, beg him to come back but the words refused to come even as Saeran opened the front door, now out of his sight.

“Next time you see me, do the right thing and let me burn.” His voice slowly became hard as steel, closing down his emotions.

The sound of running footsteps in the hallway reverberated in his head, a torturous reminder that, once again, he failed him. He failed Saeran. Whoever had him, that made him this way, would still have him.

Why?! Why why why?! He couldn’t even cry, his body completely immobile.

This wasn’t fair. It couldn’t stay like this.

He wouldn’t allow it!

Something inside of him started to heat up, his rage consuming, determined to set everything right. As he heard his neighbor scream at the sight of his body and call out for help, he fell unconscious, seeing only black.

 

 

***

That was his body, lying on the street, surrounded by a large pool of blood.

Yoosung watched Jaehee do her best to save him, pressing her jacket tightly against his stomach. There were so many people staring at them. In the distance he could see C&R’s main office, the logo burning brightly on top of the marble and glass building. The chaotic scenery, littered with cars and signs and other man-made things were a stark contrast to the tense silence and motionless crowd.

No one dared to utter a word. No one moved to help them.

The strangest being hovered near his body. Colorful like the rainbow, blurry like an unfocused lens, shifting and phasing, sparks lighting up every second to send ripples of lightning through its form. Like a jellyfish and yet, nothing like it.

_Is this a dream?_

The jelly-like creature froze. Even though it had no face, Yoosung felt like it turned to him. Everyone could see the creature. Everyone was terrified of it. Yet he wasn’t.

_No, Yoosung. This is real._

Oh. That voice. He had heard it often enough now to recognize it. The voice that he thought he had been imagining.

_What are you?_

For a moment, all colors in the bizarre jellyfish turned red and then changing back into all colors the sun could reflect.

_We do not have a name. We have never needed one before we came to your world._

Jaehee was calling out for help. She looked so scared. Scared for him. For herself. For everyone else in the RFA.

_What happened?_

A series of images briefly flashed in front of him, a recent memory; a stranger shooting the apparition, the bullet passing through it and hitting Yoosung instead.

_We visited many humans, attracted to your heavy feelings, emotions, the many things we have never felt in our time of existence. Some we took with us, as it was their desire to escape the life they had; but it was misinterpreted as hostility. Unfortunately, you were caught in between._

He remembered. The RFA was in danger. But he wasn't worried; he knew they would be saved soon.

Yoosung saw his body had stopped moving completely. His eyes were half-lidded, empty purple eyes staring at nothing. Not a breath escaped his lips.

_I died?_

_Yes. I am sorry. Your wound was too grave_.

Jaehee hadn’t noticed. No one had except the two of them.

_No. If it all ends here for me now, I can’t help Saeran. I have to come back._

He made a promise. And he would keep it. No matter what.

The creature bristled, almost seemed like it was angry, outraged.

_We can only possess lifeless bodies and live like them. We cannot bring you back from the dead. It is not done. It is not possible. However…_

The blurry creature moved over Jaehee and his body, lighting up and creating a dome over the two of them. When its strange soft threads touched them, he and Jaehee turned into pure blobs of light. Yoosung saw the creature go into his body right before they all disappeared.

_You are here. That means that we have already done so._

The familiar darkness arrived and he felt himself being pulled away.

 

Next to him, something emitted a series of soft beeps. He woke with a soft gasp, feeling he was lying in a bed not his own, wearing something soft yet uncomfortable. Everything was so blurry, so white, everything around him smelled like antiseptics and sanitizers.

There was something wrong with his vision. His hand touched the left side of his face and he felt most of it covered with heavy bandages. His touch was numb - he could tell there were some heavy drugs coursing through his veins.

So the attack wasn’t a dream. But neither was what he saw just now.

“All this time, I didn’t imagine anything, did I?” He whispered.

There was a moment of silence.

_No._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this in my head ever since Yoosung got shot in Transference, so it feels so good to finally have it written down! Next chapter, more explanations and revelations, and the roller coaster races on to inevitable RFA party.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who have been confused what the hell is going on in the first two chapters, this chapters reveals a lot. Hope you enjoy!

_I don’t understand. You were supposed to remain dormant. We were never to remind anyone of our presence._

That sounded like Ha-neul. A very annoyed Ha-neul. Yoosung’s healthy eye slowly fluttered open, having trouble focusing on details in his surroundings. Thankfully it’s daytime – last night he could barely see a thing when he woke up. Next to his hospital bed, there were two blurry shapes; one with hair so red, it had to be Seven. Which meant the second person must be Ha-neul.

_We should have known that this was inevitable. Especially with what we have done, we cannot escape the repercussions of our actions._

The strange voice in his head still surprised him, but at least it didn’t scare him anymore. In the brief time they talked, before medication and sleep knocked him unconscious, he learned that his inner voice wasn’t some sign of madness. It was another being, one that became a part of him to keep him alive. Just knowing that he had actually once died and came back sent his mind reeling and he stopped himself from thinking about it again.

_You’re endangering everyone around us. The Others would not have approved._

Wait a minute. Was his inner voice talking to Ha-neul? Yoosung’s vision returned to him fully and he saw Seven and Ha-neul sitting at a small table near his bed, Seven typing away fervently on his laptop. There was no one else around in the room. The bland calendar on the wall opposite to him told him the date, reminding him that the RFA party is on Saturday. The equally bland clock next to it let him know he had slept through all of the morning and a good chunk of the afternoon.

Ha-neul was staring at him, no, at the wall next to him, their facial expression matching the tone of their words. They were just as androgynous as he imagined them to be, messy hair, slender build and an outfit similar to Seven’s except in a sky blue color. Their mouth didn’t move in the slightest.

_You have become more human than you realize, Ha-neul. Just like you told Seven about us to protect yourself and his friends, I did this to protect Yoosung, seeing as he is no longer safe from our consequences. Do not mistake my lack of emotions as carelessness._

More human? Didn’t the creature mention that they could live like humans? Did that mean Ha-neul is… And Seven knows? His left eye started to sting a little from all the frowning he did.

“Can you guys stop arguing in my head?” Yoosung blurted out, displeased with feeling like a telephone.

The sudden interruption of silence shocked his two companions right out of their chairs. “You’re awake?” Seven closed his laptop, quickly moving towards his bed. He glanced back at Ha-neul. “What do you mean, arguing in his head?”

Ha-neul paled a little, avoiding his gaze. “While Yoosung was asleep, I contacted the Other in him to figure out who attacked him and why. That’s when they told me that they allowed Yoosung to access their memory, from the time we had erased out of everyone’s minds.”

Accessed their memory? Erasing minds?? Wow, this was too much. All the new things were starting to get to him; his head started to throb.

Seven’s eyes widened. “There’s what? In him?!”

_Now you have told them more than they needed to know._

“I-” Ha-neul stuttered, now fully red, realizing their mistake. They angrily turned to Yoosung. “This is your fault! I thought you told Yoosung everything as well!”

“Stop talking inside Yoosung so I can follow the conversation!” Seven angrily complained. Yoosung wanted to yell at them all to shut up, feeling a headache coming up.

A knock on the door provided a welcome relief to the argument, everyone acting like there’s nothing wrong. The nurse walked in with a tray of food, informing them all that three others had visited in the morning when he had been fast asleep. She had to be talking about Jumin, Zen and Jaehee for sure. It made him feel good to know how much they all cared for him.

Only after Yoosung reassured her five times that he wasn’t in any pain and that the bandages weren’t too tight did the nurse finally leave them alone. The food on his lap looked as stale as it smelled and Yoosung quickly put it aside, not hungry at all.

“Okay, can someone please explain everything, because this is super confusing and I mean **everything**.” He pushed himself upright, trying to glare at the sheepish duo as intimidating as he could with one eye. No way were they going to leave without him having some sort of grasp on the extraordinary events around him. If need be, he’d crawl out of his bed to chase after them.

Worried, Ha-neul looked to Seven, who took their hand and pulled them closer to the bed. They took a deep breath and Yoosung reached up to fiddle with his hairclips, finding they were missing. Feeling naked, he opted to clench his bedsheet, nervous and excited and dying to know more.

“A month ago, we arrived on your world. We... I mean, I did not look like this back then. We were beings of pure energy, seeking more to sustain ourselves.” The image of the strange electric jellyfish came Yoosung’s mind. So that was energy?

“You are aliens.” He gasped. Holy crap, Seven had been completely honest in the chatroom. Holy crap, there was life beyond Earth. It was nothing short of a miracle that Seven was able to keep this information to himself.

“Seven made direct contact with us, and he was one of the first that we felt did so without fear or anger. It was why we… I felt attracted to him.” They blushed and Seven gave them a cheeky grin.

“Why do you keep saying ‘we’?” Yoosung asked, annoyed that they were going off-track with flirting.

Ha-neul got the hint at least. “We were all connected. Many voices, one mind. Everything one did, the others experienced.” Yoosung’s startled face made them chuckle. “It wasn’t chaotic or horrible. We had no emotions or memories of our own. I guess the best comparison is… the parts of a computer, working together to achieve a task.”

They sighed and Seven instantly looked serious. Yoosung realized the fun part was probably over. “Some humans, we took with us. Kidnapping, you all called it. It made many of you very, very angry. We were too careless when dealing with humans back then and it cost us all.”

He remembered the creature in his memory telling him that. “And that’s how I got shot.” Seven’s eyes narrowed and Yoosung recalled how upset Jaehee had been. It must have been horrible for the RFA to see him like that.

“Yes, other humans attacked your friend Jumin because they thought he was involved with us after we took a man in his presence. You and your friends tried to save him, and it resulted in you getting injured. And then…” They hesitated, looking him straight in the eye.

_Your friends don’t know that you died. Upon your request, Ha-neul never told Seven either._

That did sound like something he’d ask.

“One of you went into my body and became a part of me. To… help me and the RFA.” Yoosung added. If it were up to him, they would never need to know. Even if he had to feel bad about keeping secrets for the rest of his life. Ha-neul picked up on his intention immediately, giving him a curt nod.

“Seriously? I thought you said you couldn’t possess humans that were alive.” Seven reacted surprised. Not shocked or scared, which he was glad for.

“Yoosung is… an exception. We’re not even sure how or why, but somehow he made the impossible possible.” The both of them looked at Yoosung, analyzing him, Ha-neul with more concern than Seven. Only now did Yoosung understand how unusual his existence was. He wasn’t supposed to be here at all.

“You’re an error in the code, Yoosung. Maybe you’re a virus.” Seven snickered. A joke, but it sent a chill down Yoosung’s spine.

Ha-neul noticed his discomfort and continued. “Upon Seven’s request, we rescued everyone by bringing them into our fold, turning everyone into energy. We were able to return you all in one piece, but it resulted in most of you having unexpected side-effects.”

“Like Zen’s future dreams.”

“Correct. Soon, the Others decided it was time to leave, not wanting to cause more damage with our presence. When they left, we wiped out humanity’s memories of us. I stayed behind, as did a few others, as humans that recently died so we can live as you do. I told Seven about what we were as I had no other way of explaining my presence.” 

A complete mind wipe. And that was over a month ago. And a month ago, he woke up in Seven’s bunker with the others. “Wait, so when we were at your party…?”

The redhead shrugged, grinning. “Yeah, it was rather suspicious, wasn’t it? Me, hosting a party at my place for the first time ever and no one remembers how they got there? It was the aftermath of us surviving. But I had to think of something and you guys accepted it.”

As Ha-neul thanked Seven for helping them, Yoosung milled everything over, processing all he had just learned. This was nuts. But with everything that had happened, it was also completely logical.

Aliens. And there was one inside of him, the very reason he’s still here. All this time. Suddenly he realized something horrible; the alien had been watching along whenever he took a shower, went to the toilet and… things he did that involved his mother asking why there was a box of tissues next to his computer. Extremely embarrassed, he twisted the bedsheet even more.

_Calm down. What you see and physical actions you do mean nothing to me. See me as a limb, another body part, a part of you that you can use._

A limb that could think for itself. Still, its words relaxed him a tiny bit.

“So who attacked you? And why?” Seven asked, pulling him out of his thoughts. Ha-neul was about to reply but Yoosung interrupted them, the battle still fresh in his mind.

Carefully, he told them all what Saeran did and told him, including what he said after Yoosung was able to break the claw-like thing on his head. Seven reacted as he feared he would, horrified and near tears, gripping the sidebars on his bed to stop him from going into a frenzy. When he was done, the only one without tears in their eyes was Ha-neul, who contemplated his words.

“This green glow… You said you saw it before? Whenever people behaved strangely, like Saeran in your class and Jumin on the bridge?”

Yoosung nodded. He was the only who had seen it and he was pretty sure it was because of the alien inside of him. Maybe Ha-neul could have seen it too. “Could it be that an alien has possessed them? Kind of like me except one with bad intentions?” Saeran had questioned him multiple times about his humanity up till now. Whoever controlled him must possess the same information they had, and that narrowed it down to pretty much everyone who wasn’t originally human.

Ha-neul shook her head even before he finished the question. “We tried to join other living beings and failed. And all of us loved humans, we never wanted them to suffer.”

“But I’m an exception, so maybe also Saeran…?” 

They fell silent, torn between wanting to defend their kind and considering that Yoosung could be right. None of them knew what to say anymore, too upset.

After a while, another nurse appeared to inform them that visiting hours were over and that the police wanted to talk to him. Devastated, Seven tried to beg something from him but Yoosung knew what he was going to ask. “I’m not going to tell them Saeran attacked me.” Perhaps it was stupid of him, but just like Seven, he wanted to find Saeran. If police officers found him first, there was no telling what would happen, especially now that he knew what was at stake.

His hacker friend vowed over and over that he wouldn’t rest until he found Saeran and that they’d be back tomorrow before the nurses came to kick them out. As they pushed him out the door, he yelled at Yoosung to call him if he knew anything more, and Yoosung discovered his smartphone had been sneakily placed underneath his pillow.

***

The police left with little fuss after they questioned him for hours, promising their protection – there would be around the clock security in the hospital. The amount of details he had to pretend not to remember made him feel ill, but he told himself it was for the best. Beyond that, he had no more visitors, save a few routine check-ups from the nurses and a call from his mother apologizing frantically, saying she’d be there first thing in the morning. As he lay on his bed, the sun already set outside, he figured this was a good time to have a first proper talk with the creature inside him.

“Hey, erm… Other-Me? Other-Yoosung?” Man, that sounded really strange. If only he was Zen, who would be more than happy to apply his name on something else.

_Is that my name now?_

“I figured it would be less confusing if you had a name. Ha-neul called you ‘the other’ and you’re a part of me, so why not?” Talking to nothing felt uncomfortable. He was really, really glad that he had his own room.

_If that is what you wish._

“Do you know what’s happening to Saeran?

_I do not._

So this must be what it’s like to talk to someone with no emotions. Weird and slightly frustrating. “But the glow and everything… There’s no alien inside Saeran?” Or inside Jumin, for that matter.

_If there is, I was not able to communicate with them. Just like you, I highly suspect we are somehow involved, but I know as much as you do. Whenever I talked to you, it was to try to help you avoid danger._

Yoosung sighed deeply. This wasn’t helping at all. He recalled the vision he had when he blacked out after Saeran ran away, his weeping still burned into his mind, making him tear up again.

“Why did you wait all this time to show me that memory? If you had let me remember everything, I would have known what to do and I could have helped Saeran.” The more he wondered, the more he became pissed off. If Other-Yoosung hadn’t been so passive, things could have gone differently. He could have warned Saeran, or his parents, or anyone that could have stopped all this.

_You misunderstand. You tapped into my memory at that point, not your own. Memories I was only able to create once I joined with you. Like Ha-neul said, your own memories have been destroyed when the Others erased all human minds. Had shown you all my memories, you would have been even more confused. It was already dangerous of me to interfere in the first place, as you experienced._

Damn it, they were right, but it didn’t make Yoosung less angry. Still, what they said gave him an idea. “If you have your memories… Can I look at them? Try to figure out what’s going on?” 

_As I said before, use me as you would an arm or a leg. Focus on what you want me to remember._

Yoosung quickly closed his eyes, finding it easy to focus on the only person he thought of lately. The anger, the sadness, the pain all came rushing back and it was hard for him not to make his mind wander off, not to think of the guy who would dive into his laptop whenever he felt shy.

Suddenly, it felt like he was floating. He opened his eyes and saw he was in a living room he had never seen before in his life. There were pictures on the wall, with large names written under it in Chinese and Korean. On the couch below him, a terrified red-haired boy gaped at him with yellow eyes so large they threatened to fall out, his body pressed against the pillows in an attempt to get further away from him.

His fear was overwhelming Yoosung’s senses. Beyond it, he could feel something else - sadness. Loneliness. A very deep-seated loneliness that he was captivated by in the first place. Confusion about the loneliness.

“Are you here to take me? Just like the people they spoke about on the news?” The boy asked. 

Yoosung tried to talk to him, wanted to tell him not to be scared, but all he produced were crackling whale noises. Despite having no visible hands, he somehow gently touched the boy’s shoulder, making him flinch and close his eyes.

_You have a brother. And he misses you very much._

Somehow, he could feel his words being relayed to the boy, who slowly opened his eyes, fear making way for burning curiosity. As the redhead watched him in wonder, he let him go and phased away, floating back into the television.

Everything around him turned black before turning white, finding himself back in the hospital again. His heart raced and his skin was clammy, sweating. His body was exhausted. The clock on the wall next to him told him he hadn’t even been away for a minute. Perhaps not even a second.

Wow. That was definitely Saeran. Back when he still lived in Hong Kong. Even though this was Other-Yoosung’s memory, he didn’t feel like a bystander. Just like the in the memory where he got shot, he could move on his own, say what he wanted. But how? And was there even a point to it, seeing as he would forget?

_He forgot our existence but holds on to the desire to find his brother. As to how… I am not sure either. It is exactly how I remember it._

This was giving him another headache. Whatever, this wasn’t important now; he set his mind back on the task at hand. It made him happy to see Saeran again, the way he used to be – but this wasn’t the information he looked for. Despite his tired mind protesting, he closed his eyes once more, trying to find the same focus.

_Stop. That was the only time we’ve come in contact with Saeran. If he somehow has been possessed by one of us, it must have happened after the Others left this world and broke our mind link._

Crap. He wanted so desperately to continue, to delve into other memories that could help him, but sleep was consuming him. Upon Other-Yoosung’s calming words, he allowed it, hoping tomorrow they could find something that wouldn’t lead to a dead end.

***

The next day he was awoken by his mother smothering him in kisses, swearing her revenge on whoever hurt him. Yoosung want amused and scared as she brought out her inner tiger mom. The doctor came by to inform him they would need to perform a few more operations on his eye, and sadly there was a good chance he would become half-blind. Any strenuous activity for the coming weeks was absolutely out of the question, he was not to exert himself in any way. Which most likely included the RFA party, Yoosung sadly thought. He had never missed a single party up till now.

When the morning ended, his mother refused to go without leaving behind many boxes of vacuum-sealed kimchi, bibimbap and other delicious foodstuffs. It felt good to be cared for, but the entire time Yoosung couldn’t stop thinking about what to do next. What else could he do to find Saeran? Should he give up and put all his hope on Seven’s skills?

After a yummy lunch, Seven and Ha-neul visited again, accompanied by Jumin, Zen and Jaehee. Seven carried with him the usual array of technology, making it obvious he hadn’t found his brother yet. They all stood around him in a half-circle, expressing their expected worries and asking the same question Seven had.

After Yoosung pushed them, Ha-neul repeated everything they had explained yesterday, the blond wanting everyone to be on the same page so they could help in the search. He was going to need all the help he could get and he didn’t want anyone else to get attacked because they weren’t aware of the danger. Unfortunately, to a group that hadn’t experienced what he did, it did sound like bullshit. 

“Is this really the time for that shitty joke?” Zen tried to stay calm, despite how clearly pissed off he was. “Yoosung got attacked in his own home – there’s a dangerous criminal on the loose and you’re going on about aliens?!” Jumin nodded along, arms crossed and ready to back him up if needed. Jaehee was strangely quiet, perhaps nervous about the possible upcoming conflict.

How he wished the older members of the RFA weren’t so stubborn. They didn’t have time to waste. Every second they spent was another second the possible rogue alien could be making Saeran do who knows what. The memory of that creepy glowing claw that seemed to trail off into the air, impossible to discern where it came from… It made him dig his nails into his skin.

Wait, didn’t the claw appear after he touched Saeran? An idea popped into Yoosung’s head. “What if I can prove it?”

Everyone, including Ha-neul, looked at him in surprise. Yoosung took advantage of the stunned silence. “Seven, aside from Zen’s future dreams, does anyone else have… ‘side-effects’?”

“From all that happened in the last month, I can tell Jaehee has some kind of weird speed thingy that lets her work fifty times as fast, and Jumin is invulnerable to damage. I don’t have anything, I wasn’t ever touched by alien energy.” Seven replied warily, wondering where Yoosung was going with this.

“I’m what?” Jumin asked Seven bewildered.

Yoosung pointed to the chair next to his bed. “Can one of you sit down and give me your arm?” He wasn’t sure if any bare skin contact would do, or if it had to be a hand or a shoulder. Hopefully he would find out soon enough without it becoming weird.

Being the closest to the chair, the ever-practical Jumin sat down, rolling up his sleeve. Yoosung grabbed his wrist, hoping his idea would work.

The instant he made contact, something lit up in Jumin’s chest, near his heart. It was a tiny orb, as blurry and static as Other-Yoosung, but instead of multiple colors, it was deep purple. Fascinated, he reached out to it and the orb shook slightly, the pulsing mist around it drifting towards his hand and being absorbed by his skin.

The moment his fingertips touched the core, everything around him abruptly spun into darkness and he was forced to close his eyes.

When he opened them again, he was Jumin Han. Despite Assistant Kang’s protests, he had taken the company car to head to his destination, but an error in judgement ended up in him crashing. Everything was upside-down, the black smoke all around making it hard to navigate. His hand hurt and he saw there was a large gash in it – but it faded away before his very eyes, skin closing up within seconds. He blinked and double-checked. Definitely no wound. The smoke must be playing tricks on his eyes. Feeling the fire come awfully close, he kicked open the car door and crawled out of it, where ambulance personnel quickly scooped him up. His suit was ruined. They couldn’t find a single scratch on him. He considered himself very lucky.

A chorus of loud gasps brought Yoosung back to himself, returning him to the hospital. It took him a few seconds before the dizziness left him and he was able to see properly. The chair had toppled over, Jumin standing up again with Zen holding his upper arm, ready to pull him further away from Yoosung if needed. Everyone stared at him in pure shock.

“Yoosung! You went inside his body! Your hand started to glow green and-!” Jaehee’s voice amplified in volume with every word and she clapped a hand in front of her mouth, not wanting to alert the entire hospital, back pressed against the wall.

“Holy crap Yoosung, that’s so cool! I didn’t know you could do that!” Seven practically vibrated, way too excited, a stark contrast to everyone’s horrified expressions.

Yoosung looked at his hand again. His plan had worked out – sort of. He had expected something to glow up while holding Jumin, but to be able to dive right into his mind like that… His fingers were tingling, almost itching to touch the strange energy again. He felt really good, just like when he broke the energy holding Saeran.

_The residual energy left by the Others somehow… charges us. I have never experienced this before. Perhaps we should be cautious._

“What… what did you do?” Zen asked skittishly. It pained Yoosung to see anyone so scared of him like that.

“I saw… the thing, the energy that made Jumin survive his car crash. He’s not invulnerable like you thought Seven, he heals incredibly fast.” It was all very serious, but he could not stop his smile when Seven looked like he had just discovered the existence of the moon.

“I… This is… This is a lot to take in.” Jumin mumbled, gripping his tie while trying to stay in control of his nerves.

Jaehee was just as stunned. “So Ha-neul is… and you have….”

“I still can’t believe it. I mean, I do now, but-” Zen worried his lip, deep in thought. Out of the three, Zen recovered faster, his mood changing from terrified to contemplative. A realization came to the actor. “Wait, so did Jumin really throw his cat off the bridge?”

The room was deadly quiet as everyone held their breath, looking to Yoosung for an answer. “It was Jumin, but I’m pretty sure he was possessed like Saeran was.” He confirmed, making Jumin’s face pale and instantly grab his phone to type something in.

“I’m arranging extra security for Elizabeth. And Zen, from now on, you must tell us about your dreams.”

Zen seemed to want to bite back at Jumin for making demands, but stopped himself, knowing Jumin was right. Everyone was so uncomfortable now. Yoosung didn’t blame them. Not every day do you learn that people around you are in danger from something people barely understood. Or to discover you and those around you have strange powers given by extraterrestrials. He remembered Zen’s messages to him about his nightmares some time ago. Elizabeth drowning almost came true.

Wait, it wasn’t just Elly he talked about! “Oh shit! Zen! The fire!” His words shocked everyone back to reality. 

All eyes were on Zen now who let go of Jumin’s arm. “In the same night that I saw Jumin’s cat drown, I dreamt that we were all trapped inside a burning building.” 

“Do you know which building?” Jaehee asked. All fear and doubts were gone. Everyone believed each other and were deadly serious. The intensity of it all made Yoosung proud and also a little nervous.

Zen shook his head. “I have no idea. All I know is that it’s not my home, but it could be anywhere.”

“If we’re all together and it hasn’t happened here yet…” Seven mumbled and everyone had the same exact thought.

The RFA party!

“Should we cancel it?” Yoosung asked. Jumin frowned, his expression grave.

“Yes, but it will look very bad in the eyes of our sponsors if we cancel without a good argument. But Elizabeth almost died because we didn’t pay attention to Zen’s dream, and I’m not going to jeopardize everyone’s safety.” Knowing Jumin, if C&R was hosting the party, he would have cancelled it without hesitation. But the RFA affected them all and more.

“If I may offer a solution,” Jaehee promptly intercepted, “Zen mentioned we were all inside. The weather is warm enough for us to move the entire party outside to the gardens, ensuring we don’t have to be inside the RFA building together. That should avert Zen’s prophecy for at least that day.”

Brilliant! A visible wave of relief washed over everyone, instantly agreeing that this was the best thing to do. Continuously living up to her reputation, Jaehee also promised to set up extra security measures.

“What about Yoosung’s attacker? As long as we haven’t found him, he still poses a threat.” Ha-neul asked, the only one not swept into their wave of euphoria.

It was hard not to take offense. The word threat didn’t resonate well for Yoosung, but he knew they were right to call Saeran that. “I’ll be fine, security here is watching over me. Do you think he will show up at the party?”

Jumin almost chuckled. “Our VIP, Chief of Police Park, will be there, along with his colleagues and bodyguards. This man is almost as well protected as the President. Whoever is controlling Saeran, they’d have to be a fool to attack us there.”

“Sounds like the party is now the safest place to be.” Yoosung sighed, feeling envious.

***

The days passed quickly, alternating between him knocked out under anesthesia as surgeons tried to save what was left of his eye and memory diving with Other-Yoosung which caused him to sleep more from exhaustion. Every memory was another encounter with a random person that had nothing to do with Saeran and some evenings he wanted nothing more than to angrily trash the whole room. His mother noticed how down he was whenever she visited and he explained it away by the prospect of becoming half-blind. He hadn’t even thought about how he would live his life with one working eye and if he was honest, he didn’t really care right now.

The members of the RFA visited whenever they could. Whoever wasn’t busy with last minute changes for the party was trying to find his attacker. The combined efforts of Seven’s hacking skills and Jumin’s expensive private detective weren’t doing any better than him; like a ghost, not a trace could be found after Saeran left Yoosung’s apartment.

It all felt so pointless. As he lay in his bed, he stared at the ceiling light, trying to push down the crushing sadness. Almost as if he were mourning. Maybe he was preparing himself for the fact that he’d never see him again.

_You think about him a lot._

Yoosung snorted. “Wouldn’t you?”

_I cannot say. From my experience with humans, continuous thinking like this is often related to intimacy._

He blushed, having not expected that at all. Did they have to say it like that?! It was tempting to think of Other-Yoosung as a friend, but they were more a guide, that annoying LOLOL hint balloon that popped up if you failed to do an easy task. They were right though, he did think about him all the time. If only the thoughts were constant concerns.

In a way, he’s always been someone that focused on one person. Before Saeran, Rika was always on his mind, his cousin so perfect and kind that he often wondered if she was real.

Great, now he had new worries. Or old ones, really. Before all this happened, he wanted to know if she was doing alright. He hadn’t spoken to her in ages, V being the only who communicated her wishes. The very last time he saw her was more than a month ago. Yoosung closed his eyes. Was it when he waved her goodbye at the airport, when she and V went on their holiday abroad… just before the aliens arrived?

The familiar rush appeared, making him realize he was delving into Other-Yoosung’s memory once more, unable to stop it.

Again, he was floating. He was in a hotel room, simple but stylish and full of warmth, with windows so large he could see the mountains outside. The wooden table near the king-sized bed was littered with photos of the sky, colors easily rivalling the paintings on the walls.

A woman with wavy blond hair sat on the edge of her bed, but she wasn’t looking at him – he wasn’t alone. There was another one, one of the Others, hovering in front of her, making the phone on her lap hum and shake from its proximity.

She wasn’t scared, but she was so sad. It wasn’t the painful sadness he had experienced with Saeran; it was hollow, empty, dull, like she had felt it too often. Both of them didn’t notice him being there, or they didn’t care.

The woman started to glow as bright as her hair, brighter than the sun itself. 

_NO!!!_

His own voice resonated loudly and the Other shook as if startled, making the woman stop glowing. Perplexed, her gaze swept over the room, realizing she was still here.

“Why?!” She yelled out at the two aliens, covering her face with her hands, tears flowing out so fast it made her body tremble. “You told me that I could join you, where I wouldn’t feel any pain! Why did you deny me?!”

_What is happening?_

_Why did you stop?_

_She wants to come with us, what is going on?_

Different voices rang through his body as the Others became aware of what he had just done. He did his best to ignore them all as he gently floated towards the sobbing woman. It wasn’t right for the Others to take her - they didn’t know her as well as he did. He knew what was right for her. He was going to help her, to show her how good she was. She was his cousin, if anyone could reach out to her, it would be him.

There was a tiny orb burning near her heart and he realized he had been just too late - she was now affected with their energy. But perhaps this was a good thing. He could work with this.

A part of him gently touched her head, making her look up. Her face were tear-streaked and her eyes were red-rimmed.

_You’ve been given a special power. One day you will know what it can do. Use it to find happiness._

His transmitted words made her frown deeply. For the longest time, she said nothing, making him nervous.

“If that’s what it takes…” She wiped her face and stood up. Her hands were balled to fists, and he could feel the zealous determination radiate off of her.

“I will do what needs to be done. I won’t let you down.”

If he could scratch his head in confusion, he would. What did she mean by that? But at least she wasn’t sad or empty anymore. He had given her something to keep herself grounded.

Gentle knocking on the door stopped him from communicating with her more, a man’s soft voice calling out her name. Last thing he wanted was to be seen by anyone else. Swiftly, he went into her phone, feeling himself being pulled back again.

His own bed was always oddly foreign when he returned. “Was that the only time you came in contact with Rika? And she will forget us but remember her emotions, right?”

_Yes. That is logical._

He smiled. This might be why none of them had heard from her, busy with her unique power to worry about simple RFA things. What did she get, he wondered. Something like Zen’s future dreams would be ideal for her. Though if that was the case, she would be here to help them, no doubt. Maybe she got something as awesome as moving stuff around with her mind. That would be so cool, even he would forget about LOLOL just to mess with that all the time.

At least he didn’t have to worry about her anymore. 

***

Only a few hours left until the RFA party started. Yoosung was counting them down, too distracted to play with any of his handheld games. Normally he’d use the chatroom to vent, but it was still off-limits, Seven having had no time to ward it further from the mysterious hacker. Not a single chatroom had been created for over a week.

Which is why when his smartphone buzzed and his name appeared on the screen, he broke out in cold sweat.

> Unknown: Yoosung  
>  Unknown: Yoooosunggg~  
>  Unknown: How mean of you, not to reply  
>  Unknown: Seeing how much effort you all have put in just to find me  
>  Unknown: Are you scared?  
>  Unknown: Ahahahahaha
> 
> Yoosung★: Saeran???
> 
> Unknown: Urgh  
>  Unknown: That is no longer my name anymore  
>  Unknown: I am now Unknown, it is who I was meant to be all this time  
>  Unknown: But good job, good job  
>  Unknown: So sad that I had to tell you though, wasn’t it obvious?  
>  Unknown: You are all idiots.  
>  Unknown: Ah, but I’m sad too  
>  Unknown: Sad you’re going to miss out on the fun!  
>  Unknown: You should be here  
>  Unknown: If you don’t, your friends will go to Paradise without you~
> 
> Yoosung★: Saeran, you’re being possessed, fight it!
> 
> Unknown: How cute  
>  Unknown: This coming from the freak of nature  
>  Unknown: What’s it like, to have a parasite in you?  
>  Unknown: Even with it, you know nothing.  
>  Unknown: Maybe you shouldn’t be here  
>  Unknown: The RFA doesn’t need someone as naïve as you
> 
> Yoosung★: You will never get into the party without someone catching you  
>  Yoosung★: Just stop and let us help you
> 
> Unknown: **HAHAHAHA!!**  
>  Unknown: Poor, poor naïve baby  
>  Unknown: Goodbye, baby Yoosung  
>  Unknown: Think of me when you’re alone~
> 
> \- Unknown has logged off - 

His smartphone almost dropped out of his hands as they trembled. Oh God, his friends were in danger! 

Every little voice in the back of his mind telling him no, every warning and advice he had gotten about resting, he threw in the wind, tossing the bedcovers off of him. The floor was cold under his bare feet as he opened the cupboard next to his bed, looking for the nicest clothes he had.

_What are you doing? You have not healed fully yet._

“I’m going to the party. I’m the only one who can see when someone is possessed and my friends are going to need me. If you’re not going to help, then be quiet.” Yoosung said, leaving no room for argument, tugging on his pants. The skin under his bandaged prickled when he put on his dress shirt and he knew he had to be extra careful; any pressure there would be disastrous.

_The security guards will both leave your door to update their reports in nine minutes. You can slip out unnoticed if you take the right hallway._

He smiled. Maybe Other-Yoosung could be seen as a friend after all.

***

The party was swamped, every corner of the garden covered by a group of people. Yoosung had never seen so many people in uniform in his entire life. Jumin was right; Saeran getting in here without someone tackling him to the floor would be a miracle. Still, unnatural forces were in play - anything was possible. He had to make sure he found him before it got that far.

The light were on in the building where the parties normally took place, and Yoosung figured it was to give the guests the impression that a different event was happening inside. He maneuvered himself around, trying to keep himself small and unnoticed. It was pretty hard when his head was mostly covered with bandages; various couples cooed over him and asked him if he was in any pain. After telling the third pair that he was in a car accident and really, it looked worse than it was, Yoosung started to wonder if he should have worn a ski mask.

Zen stood out with his white jacket in the sea of black and blue, entertaining a few guests, his smile making it seem like he hadn’t a care in the world. Just as Yoosung decided it would be best to head over to him, to warn them all about what he knew, the hairs in the back of his neck stood up, as if brushed by static.

_There’s an Other here. I can hear them._

Rapidly, Yoosung spun on his heels but he didn’t see anything strange. No strange beams of light, no sparks or smoke or anything that indicated alien activity.

“Can you tell me where they are-“ He whispered, but another voice rang in his head, more high-pitched, feminine, making him jump. A few people gave him odd stares.

_You can hear me?_

Whoever this was, they sounded extremely familiar. He quickly moved to a more secluded part of the garden, the tall bushes acting as a partial visual shield.

“This is Yoosung. Who are you?” He held his finger on the side of his head, trying to block out the chatter around him. Mentally he slapped himself - this wasn’t a casual phone conversation! Why was he telling them his name?!

_Yoosung?! It’s me, Mei!_

Whoa, Jaehee’s coffee buddy that got arrested? What the hell? Holy crap, this meant that she too-

_Yoosung, none of you are safe. They know everything, about us, about your friends’ powers, you. I’ve tried so hard to warn you in your chatroom, but it was so hard to transmit anything properly - and then I found out they deleted my name but not the rest, to scare you all._

“Who’s they? How do they know? Where are you?”

_It’s a man and a woman. I don’t know their names, but through me, they can see via JaAAARGHHH!!_

Mei’s horrific scream shot through his head, nearly making Yoosung topple over. When he gained his bearings, he couldn’t hear her anymore. Other-Yoosung’s voice returned.

_I can’t tell where she is, but she must be close to communicate with us like this._

Crap! What happened to her?! No doubt that wherever she was, the people masterminding this must be too. But the descriptions were way too vague. If only she could have told him more before she got cut off!

He ran from his hiding spot, about to tell Other-Yoosung to try to pick up her voice again, scanning the garden. With his head turned, his face suddenly bumped into a broad back. Said back turned and golden eyes faced him. They belonged to a tall man who appeared near his fifties, his wrinkle lines making his face more charming, accompanied with a warm smile. From the amount of badges he was wearing on his suit, Yoosung figured he had to be a very important person.

Together with his brown hair, he looked very familiar, but he couldn’t place where he had seen him before. The man’s bodyguards turned to face him as well, making him panic.

“I-I’M SORRY!” He stammered out. The man laughed heartily and his company laughed along, making him feel extremely flustered.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. You didn’t mean to run into me, after all. What kind of officer would I be if I punished a young man like you for a tiny mistake?” The man chuckled some more at his own joke and Yoosung was grateful that it wasn’t a big deal. Suddenly he realized it - this was their VIP; Chief of Police Park. Oh God, he had smashed into pretty much the most important person ever.

Police Chief Park stopped chuckling and gazed intently at his bandages. “Should you be running around with something like that?”

His presence became dominating and Yoosung felt a little intimated with the way he towered over him. He shook his head. “It’s okay, I don’t even feel it.”

The chief laughed again. “You are quite strong, dealing with a knife wound like that. Are you with the RFA? I’ve met one of your colleagues, I believe his name is Jumin Han? Nice man, talked a bit too much about his cat during the dinner.”

“Yeah, he’s like that.” Yoosung replied absent-mindedly, trying not to bounce up and down. Last thing he wanted was to insult their VIP even more but he seriously had to find Mei and her captors. He couldn’t think of anything to say to cut off their small-talk.

If Police Chief Park was insulted, he didn’t show it, his smile wide. “I see you’re busy. Hurry along now, don’t let me stop you from what you wanted to do.” He motioned past him and Yoosung took the cue to leave him, getting the idea that the chief wanted to talk to more important people. 

That was fine, he didn’t have the time to chat for long. It pleased him to know the chief was a good man. If all hell broke loose, maybe he should consider telling him everything and have him help catch the evil being controlling Saeran.

Try as he might, he could not find Mei. He had ran past every group, every parked car, searched the nearby streets for her but nothing. There was only one place he hadn’t checked and that was inside the building; thanks to Zen’s premonition, the last place he wanted to be in. But he supposed if everyone else was outside, he would be fine.

As he approached the side entrance, he saw a figure glance around suspiciously before opening the door. Black leather jacket, purple shirt, long shaggy brown hair? Hold on a second, that’s…!

Yoosung raced after him, throwing the door open with little care, seeing the man doubt which way to go in the empty lounge. He turned around startled when Yoosung tugged at the back of his jacket.

“Mary?!” What was this, the people who knew Jaehee reunion party? 

Vanderwood didn’t look like he was here for a friendly visit, everything about him on full alert. “No time to explain. Is Seven here? It’s important that I find him!”

A loud crash from the room next to them warned them both of nearby danger and Vanderwood kicked the locked door open, splintering it on its hinges. Upon entering the back room, Yoosung was met with the most terrifying sight; in between the many security screens and other technology, Seven was backed against the wall, Saeran choking him violently.

“That’s what you get for abandoning me!!” Saeran hissed, adding more pressure. His eyes glowed fiercely with that shade of green Yoosung had hoped never to see again. Seven clawed at his hands, his body nearly lifted off the floor.

The taller man moved so fast, he became a blur in Yoosung’s half-vision. The impact of Vanderwood’s fist on Saeran’s head made him nauseous, as if he cracked his skull open. Instantly, Saeran staggered and fell to the ground, leaving Seven wheezing for air. The brunette grabbed Saeran’s arms and forced them behind his back, ready to punch the struggling boy unconscious.

“Wait!” Yoosung almost pushed Vanderwood away, kneeling down to touch the back of Saeran’s neck, who yelled the most obscene things that made his ears go red. Like a lightning flash, the crooked wires of light appeared again, once again digging into the ghost-haired boy’s head. 

“Are you mad?! He’s one of those cultists!”

He ignored Vanderwood, reaching out and grabbing the claw. Its coils crumbled a lot faster than the first time and after just a few seconds had passed, the claw exploded, surrounding him in that fog of light. Yoosung didn’t even feel the need to close his eyes anymore as his body once again absorbed the fog, making him feel like he had just succeeded in killing the boss he had wiped on for many months. It felt way too good.

When he came down from his high, Saeran had stopped fighting, mumbling unintelligibly. Vanderwood looked at him like he saw water burn. “The hell did you do? Why did you grab the air like that? What the hell happened to him?”

Before Yoosung could answer him, Seven had recovered, skin on his neck glaringly red, and dove down to grab hold of Saeran, slowly lifting him up and making Vanderwood let him go.

“Saeran? It’s me, Saeyoung!” Seven’s voice came out strained and Yoosung could tell he was doing his best to talk through the pain. Wow, was Saeyoung his real name? 

“S-Saeyoung?” Saeran asked, almost whispering, wobbling so much he almost fell back down. “What… I-I can’t believe… This isn’t real, right?” The white-haired twin was so out of it. Seven hushed him and gave him a tight hug, trying not to cry.

Vanderwood stared at Seven with his mouth open. “You know him?!”

“It’s a very long story.” Too long to explain and Yoosung knew they had no time. Vanderwood seemed to get the hint, the tallest of them nodding.

The sound of nails scratching a chalkboard, so intense it pierced him like a needle, grabbed Yoosung’s attention and he frantically examined the room. No one else seemed to hear it. To his horror, he saw how lightning coils crawled across the ceiling above them, creeping towards Saeran with every second, phasing in and out of visibility. He seized hold of Saeran’s hand that hung next to his side, surprising both twins. The coils stopped moving, hovering menacingly above the ghost-haired boy but not coming any closer.

“They’re trying to take him back.” Yoosung grimaced, knowing they couldn’t see the lightning above them.

Clever as he was, Seven understood, letting go of his brother. “We need to get out of here. Vanderwood, if you are here, does that mean you too know about…?”

“I have no freaking clue what’s going on with you lot, as always, but that’s not important. Listen, the agency is here.”

Seven looked like he was going to have a heart attack. “The-The agency?? But I thought we both managed to break clean from them?”

“I wasn’t that lucky. They caught me just before I deleted my record. When they found out, I was able to use the excuse that I was trying to chase after you.”

What were they going on about? As the two of them speed-talked through each other about this ‘agency’, the warm hand squeezing his reminded him who he was holding on to. Yoosung turned his head and stared right into Saeran’s eyes, the golden color completely drowned out by sea green. Only now Saeran seemed to understand who exactly was next to him, staring at him in amazement, the slight blush on his cheeks breaking the pale monotony of his appearance.

“You helped me again. You keep saving me from myself. Thank you.”

Yoosung felt his entire face heat up, their intimate hand-holding making his brain short-circuit, and wanted to contradict him, but saw Vanderwood motion for them to move. Right, no time. As soon as they got out, he’d tell Saeran everything. Despite the urgency, the red remained on his cheeks.

Seven’s friend continued while they sprinted through the main hall, the coils on the ceiling following them. "They’re getting help from some woman who calls herself the Savior. Don’t know where the boss found her, but for some reason everyone does her bidding without question. She keeps saying she wants to bring everyone to Paradise. Even the boss’ loyal agents are scared shitless. And they're after you, Seven.”

Just as they were about to head to the hallway that lead to the side entrance, the front doors opened, a small group of people walking in. Ha-neul walked in front, followed by his other friends.

“It is the greatest honor for us to give a tour of the building for Korea’s most important public servant. We-“ Jumin halted when he saw the four of them, eyes widening. 

Zen almost turned whiter than his jacket. “Yoosung? Why are you here?!” His eyes darted to the guests and he faked a cough. “Shouldn’t you focus on getting your eye treated?” 

The look Zen gave them all was one he didn’t have to guess the meaning of - they were all inside the building. Someone had to leave. Right **now.**

“Assistant Kang, contact the hospital. We’ll take him there right away.” Jumin turned to Jaehee, who nodded at him and turned on the spot to head outside.

A menacing bodyguard stepped to the side from the group, effectively halting her from leaving. 

“Please, it would make me so sad if one of you left at this moment.” The Chief of Police walked forward, passing them all. His smile wasn’t as kind as earlier.

“The boss!” Vanderwood blurted out. It was Seven’s turn to panic and Ha-neul wanted to move to him, but got held back by another bodyguard.

“The devil!” Saeran whispered, his hand trembling fiercely, pulling at Yoosung to get away. His body was frozen on the spot.

Police Chief Park sighed. "And here I was hoping for more subtlety. I guess I have no choice but to ask her to help me." He signaled in the air and his bodyguards moved away from the door. The coils hovering above Saeran suddenly skittered towards the exit. In the distance, Yoosung could see all the guests - none of them moved, all eyes glowing.

He couldn’t breathe as a woman clothed in what seemed like a religious gown walked through the doors, posture regal, her steps careful and calculated, her eyes staring right at his soul. Green eyes. Not glowing and yet more horrifying.

His heart stopped. Oh no. _Oh no!_

She took her place right right next to Police Chief Park and Yoosung couldn’t stop the flashback - the tall brown-haired man with the blonde woman, in the street, the day Saeran changed for good. The rest of the RFA looked at her puzzled, not aware of the immense danger they were in.

“Hello everyone. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” She smiled heartily and the coils danced around her before fading away. She directed her gaze at him and Saeran and sighed. “So you’re the one who keeps breaking my control. I suppose it wouldn’t be a test from God if he didn’t choose my closest relative as my greatest opponent. But I promised I wouldn’t let him down. The demon inside of you won’t get the better of me, _Yoosung_ , if that’s still your name. I will help everyone find happiness and then... be worthy of entering Paradise.”

Rika’s glare didn’t hurt him as much as what she said did, words cutting through him like a knife. He wanted to throw up. He wanted to run away screaming.

_Oh Yoosung. I’m… I’m so sorry._

**Author's Note:**

> [Binary to Text Converter](http://www.unit-conversion.info/texttools/convert-text-to-binary/) :3


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